David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Hawaii Attorney General Clare E. Connors, joining a coalition of 16 attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, announced today the filing of a brief in the United States Supreme Court in the coalition’s ongoing lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The lawsuit, originally filed in September 2017 and to be heard by the Supreme Court this fall, argues that the Trump Administration’s attempt to revoke DACA was based on a faulty legal analysis and harmed State residents, institutions, and economies.

“The administration’s attempt to revoke DACA violates the US Constitution,” said Attorney General Connors.  “We continue to stand with our fellow states in protecting and supporting productive members of our community who have violated no laws.”

In September 2017, the coalition filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District (EDNY) challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate DACA. In February 2018, the EDNY issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that halted DACA’s termination. The United States Supreme Court will hear the case, together with parallel challenges to DACA’s termination filed in federal courts in California and the District of Columbia.

Since 2012, DACA has allowed approximately 800,000 young people who came to this country as children and lack legal status to live, study, and work in the U.S. without fear of arrest or deportation.

Joining Attorney General Connors and New York Attorney General Letitia James in filing this brief and the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina,

Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the Governor of Colorado.

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For more information, contact:

Krishna F. Jayaram

Special Assistant to the Attorney General

(808) 586-1284

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://ag.hawaii.gov

Twitter: @ATGHIgov