Federal judge rules in favor of Trump ending DACA

WASHINGTON—A federal judge in Maryland sided with the Trump administration Monday, striking down a legal challenge to the president’s order to end the program protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation. The ruling came on the same day President Donald Trump had planned for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to end. But nearly 700,000 immigrants remain protected under DACA and can still renew their status in the program while litigation against Trump’s action continues. In Monday’s ruling, Judge Roger Titus wrote that he does not agree with the decision to end DACA, but insisted courts don’t have authority to set immigration policy. “This court does not like the outcome of this case, but is constrained by its constitutionally limited role to the result that it has reached,” he wrote. “Hopefully, the Congress and the president will finally get their job done.” The Justice Department commended the court ruling in a statement. Two other courts, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California and another in the Eastern District of New York, previously placed injunctions on Trump’s DACA order, allowing the program to continue. Trump challenged lawmakers in September to find a legislative solution for DACA, but they have failed to coalesce around a bill. “Total inaction on DACA by Dems,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “Where are you? A deal can be made!”