The Dream Is Alive: Supreme Court protects DACA

Ruling blocks Trump administration from ending Obama-era program that allows hundreds of thousands brought into the U.S. illegally as children to remain...for now. NBC's Alice Barr reports.

WASHINGTON — (NBC News) The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to end DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Obama-era program allowed children brought to the United States illegally as children avoid deportation.

“There were doors closing and right now things don’t seem like they’re against us, for now. So I’m pretty happy,” DACA recipient Selvin Marquina said after the ruling.

Chief Justice John Roberts was the swing vote in a 5-4 decision that blocks the Trump administration from shutting down the program.

DACA has allowed nearly 800,000 young people, collectively known as “dreamers,” to avoid deportation.

Jesus Contreras is a paramedic who came to the U.S. at age 6.

“I have been on the edge for the past few months just kind of worried to death on what the decision of the Supreme Court was going to be,” he says.

While a win for dreamers, the ruling leaves the door open for the Trump administration to try to shut DACA down again by offering a more detailed justification.

“Until we have permanent legislation that can secure our place in this country we will always be worried,” Contreras says.

It’s the second time this week the conservative court has ruled against the Trump administration following Monday’s decision protecting LGBTQ workers.

President Trump took the DACA ruling personally, tweeting “Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?” and adding “These horrible and politically charged decisions” are “shotgun blasts into the face” of conservatives.

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