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2 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY v. 
REGENTS OF UNIV. OF CAL. 
Opinion of the Court 

CHIEF  JUSTICE  ROBERTS  delivered  the  opinion  of  the 

Court, except as to Part IV. 

In the summer of 2012, the Department of Homeland Se-
curity (DHS) announced an immigration program known as
Deferred  Action  for  Childhood  Arrivals,  or  DACA.    That 
program  allows  certain  unauthorized  aliens  who  entered 
the  United  States  as  children  to  apply  for  a  two-year  for-
bearance  of  removal.  Those  granted  such  relief  are  also
eligible for work authorization and various federal benefits. 
Some  700,000  aliens  have  availed  themselves  of  this 
opportunity. 

Five  years  later,  the  Attorney  General  advised  DHS  to
rescind DACA, based on his conclusion that it was unlaw-
ful.  The Department’s Acting Secretary issued a memoran-
dum terminating the program on that basis.  The termina-
tion  was  challenged  by  affected  individuals  and  third
parties  who  alleged,  among  other  things,  that  the  Acting
Secretary  had  violated  the  Administrative  Procedure  Act
(APA)  by  failing  to  adequately  address  important  factors 
bearing  on  her  decision.  For  the  reasons  that  follow,  we 
conclude that the Acting Secretary did violate the APA, and
that the rescission must be vacated. 

I 
A 

In June 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security issued 
a memorandum announcing an immigration relief program
for “certain young people who were brought to this country
as  children.”  App.  to  Pet.  for  Cert.  in  No.  18–587,  p.  97a 
(App. to Pet. for Cert.).  Known as DACA, the program ap-
plies to childhood arrivals who were under age 31 in 2012;
have continuously resided here since 2007; are current stu-
dents,  have  completed  high  school,  or  are  honorably  dis-
charged  veterans;  have  not  been  convicted  of  any  serious 
crimes;  and  do  not  threaten  national  security  or  public