Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/18-587_5ifl.pdf
Page Number: 42.0

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY v. 
REGENTS OF UNIV. OF CAL. 

Opinion of THOMAS, J. 

“prosecutorial discretion” policy known as DACA.  App. to 
Pet. for Cert. in No. 18–587, p. 97a.  The memorandum di-
rected immigration enforcement officers not to remove “cer-
tain young people who were brought to this country as chil-
dren” that met delineated criteria.  Id., at 97a–98a.  In the 
Secretary’s  view,  the  program  was  consistent  with  “the 
framework of the existing law.”  Id., at 101a. 

DACA granted a renewable 2-year period of “deferred ac-
tion” that made approximately 1.7 million otherwise remov-
able aliens eligible to remain in this country temporarily.3 
By  granting  deferred  action,  the  memorandum  also  made 
recipients eligible for certain state and federal benefits, in-
cluding  Medicare  and  Social  Security.  See  8  U. S. C. 
§§1611(b)(2)–(4);  8  CFR  §1.3(a)(4)(vi)  (2020);  45  CFR 
§152.2(4)(vi)  (2019).  In  addition,  deferred  action  enabled 
the  recipients  to  seek  work  authorization.    8  U. S. C. 

—————— 
Prevention Act of 2001, H. R. 1582, 107th Cong., 1st Sess.; Student Ad-
justment Act of 2001, H. R. 1918, 107th Cong., 1st Sess.; DREAM Act, S.
1291, 107th Cong., 1st Sess. (2001); DREAM Act, S. 1545, 108th Cong., 
1st  Sess.  (2003);  Student  Adjustment  Act  of  2003,  H. R.  1684,  108th 
Cong., 1st Sess.; DREAM Act, S. 2863, 108th Cong., 2d Sess., Tit. XVIII 
(2003); DREAM Act of 2005, S. 2075, 109th Cong., 1st Sess.; Comprehen-
sive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, S. 2611, 109th Cong., 2d Sess., Tit.
VI, Subtitle C; American Dream Act, H. R. 5131, 109th Cong., 2d Sess. 
(2006); DREAM Act of 2007, S. 774, 110th Cong., 1st Sess.; DREAM Act
of 2007, S. 2205, 110th Cong., 1st Sess.; STRIVE Act of 2007, H. R. 1645, 
110th Cong., 1st Sess., Tit. VI, Subtitle B; Comprehensive Immigration
Reform Act of 2007, S. 1348, 110th Cong., 1st Sess., Tit. VI, Subtitle C; 
DREAM  Act  of  2009,  S.  729,  111th  Cong.,  1st  Sess.;  American  Dream
Act, H. R. 1751, 111th Cong., 1st Sess.; Comprehensive Immigration Re-
form  Act  of  2010,  S.  3932,  111th  Cong.,  2d  Sess.,  Tit.  V,  Subtitle  D; 
DREAM Act of 2010, S. 3827, 111th Cong., 2d Sess.; DREAM Act of 2010,
S. 3962, 111th Cong., 2d Sess.; DREAM Act of 2010, S. 3963, 111th Cong., 
2d Sess.; DREAM Act of 2010, S. 3992, 111th Cong., 2d Sess.; DREAM
Act of 2010, H. R. 6497, 111th Cong., 2d Sess.; DREAM Act of 2011, S.
952, 112th Cong., 1st Sess.

3 See  J.  Passel  &  M.  Lopez,  Pew  Research  Center,  Up  to  1.7  Million
Unauthorized  Immigrant  Youth  May  Benefit  From  New  Deportation 
Rules (Aug. 14, 2012).