On Friday, a federal judge in Texas ordered the end of an Obama-era programme that protected certain immigrants brought to the United States as children from deportation, placing additional pressure on President Joe Biden, and the Democrats who now dominate Congress, to act.

Texas and eight other conservative states sought to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which gives limited protections to approximately 650,000 individuals. US District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in their favour. People who have already enlisted will not lose their safeguards, but Hanen has put a stop to fresh applications being processed.

Also Read | Joe Biden revokes Donald Trump’s immigration proclamation for health care costs

Hanen’s ruling restricts Biden’s immediate ability to maintain DACA or something like that in place, despite his campaign promise to do so. After a court prohibited implementation of Biden’s 100-day hold on most deportations, his judgement is the second by a federal judge in Texas to halt Biden’s immigration plans.

Biden has already introduced legislation to give the estimated 11 million individuals living in the United States without authorization a road to citizenship. He also directed agencies to make every effort to keep the initiative alive.

DACA supporters, including those who spoke before Hanen in support of the programme, have emphasised that a statute approved by Congress is required to offer lasting relief. Hanen contended Congress must respond, if the United States wishes to offer the protections under DACA to beneficiaries known as “Dreamers”.

Hanen’s decision came after a nearly three-and-a-half-hour court hearing on DACA’s future.

Also Read | Facebook dismisses Joe Biden’s COVID misinformation criticism as ‘accusations’

The states contended that because DACA circumvented Congress, former President Barack Obama never had the power to create it in 2012. States have also alleged that the programme depletes their educational and healthcare resources.

Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and West Virginia, all of which had Republican governors or state attorneys general, joined Texas in the lawsuit.

On behalf of a group of DACA recipients, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office contended that Obama had the power to enact DACA and that the states lacked standing to sue because they had not endured any harm as a result of the programme.

In 2018, Hanen denied Texas’ request for a preliminary injunction to halt the programme. Hanen indicated in 2018 that he felt DACA as implemented was likely unlawful, a precursor to his recent judgement.

“If the nation truly wants to have a DACA program, it is up to Congress to say so,” Hanen wrote then.

Also Read | Who are the ‘disinformation dozen’ rapped by the White House?

In 2015, Hanen decided that Obama could neither expand DACA protections or create a scheme to protect their parents.

While DACA is sometimes referred to as a programme for young immigrants, many beneficiaries have been in the United States for a decade or more after being brought in without authorization or overstaying visas. According to the liberal Center for American Progress, DACA is being used by at least one parent for 254,000 children. Grandparents are among the recipients.

Former President Donald Trump’s effort to abolish DACA in 2017 was earlier deemed unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. In December, a New York judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the Obama-era programme.