Childhood immigrants sue U.S. government

Six immigrants who are participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program sued the Trump administration Monday over its decision to end the Obama-era rule that protects them from deportation. The plaintiffs include teachers, a graduate student, and a lawyer whose parents brought them to the United States illegally as children. DACA has allowed nearly 800,000 childhood immigrants to obtain work permits and deportation protection since 2012. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, alleges President Donald Trump’s plan to end DACA violates the constitutional rights of those who registered with the U.S. government so they could take advantage of the program. Department of Justice spokesman Devin O’Malley blamed the Obama administration for starting DACA and said the agency would defend Trump’s decision. “It was the previous administration’s arbitrary circumvention of Congress that got us to this point,” he said. “The Department of Justice looks forward to defending this administration’s position and restoring respect for the rule of law.” More than a dozen states have also sued to block the program’s end.