Filed Date: Sept. 11, 2017
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On September 11, 2017, several states initiated this action in the District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging President Trump’s attempted revocation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The plaintiffs alleged that DACA provided invaluable protections to young people across their states and allowed them to pursue education and employment. In turn, DACA recipients have contributed to state economies and the educational experiences of all students in state school systems. The complaint argued that the proposed revocation violated Fifth Amendment Due Process and Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Regulatory Flexibility Act. The plaintiffs sought equitable estoppel to prevent the government from divulging the personal information of DACA recipients, as well as an order from the court enjoining the government from rescinding the program.
In 2012, the Obama administration created the DACA program via Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy statements. The program offered work permits and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants who had been brought to the United States as children (and who meet some additional requirements). As of 2017, there were an estimated 800,000 DACA recipients. On September 5, 2017, President Trump announced that he was ending the program in March unless Congress acted within the next six months. As the plaintiffs' complaint highlights, the Obama administration made key promises to applicants when it promoted DACA: that any information they provided in the application process would not be used for immigration enforcement purposes, and that, barring criminal activity or fraud in their DACA applications, DACA recipients would be able to renew their status and keep their benefits.
The plaintiffs were the states of California, Maine, Minnesota, and Maryland. The complaint noted that California in particular was home to more DACA recipients than any other state in the country (over 200,000). The states argued that rescinding DACA "violates fundamental notions of justice" by leaving recipients without access to jobs and making them vulnerable to deportation. The complaint also alleged that DACA recipients were required to divulge confidential information in order to apply for the program, including information about their immigration status and address. Recipients were previously assured that the information would be kept confidential. By revoking DACA, the plaintiffs argued that the government created a "confusing and threatening situation" in which that private information was at risk of being used against recipients in future immigration proceedings.
The case was assigned to Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James on Sept. 11, 2017, and reassigned to Judge William Alsup on Sept. 18, after it was related to Regents of University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security(No. 17-cv-05211). The cases were subsequently related to Garcia v. United States of America (No. 17-cv-5380), a href="https://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=16156">City of San Jose v. Trump, (No. 17-cv-5329), and County of Santa Clara v. Trump (No. 17-cv-5823).
On October 6, in a related challenge led by Regents of University of California before this judge, the government filed the administrative record, available here, which included a series of government documents pertaining to DACA from its inception up to the decision to rescind it. On October 17, after the University in the related case moved to compel the defendants to complete the administrative record, the court ordered them to do so in all related cases, including this one. The court found that the defendants did not produce all documents leading to the rescission: specifically, they failed to produce related documents that Acting DHS Secretary Duke did not directly review.
The defendants moved to stay further proceedings at this court on October 18 in light of their intent to appeal this ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court denied the requested stay on October 19, and the defendants appealed the next day by filing a petition for a writ of mandamus to the District Court and an emergency motion for stay. On October 23, the District Court replied to the Ninth Circuit's invitation to answer the government's petition, stating it would not stay proceedings in light of the narrow window of time until DACA was intended to end (March 5, 2018).
On November 16, the Ninth Circuit denied the defendants' motion for a writ of mandamus and vacated the stay of discovery and record expansion that had been entered, and the District Court immediately ordered the federal government to file an augmented administrative record by November 22. On November 17, the federal government filed an emergency motion that it intended to file an application for mandamus with the US Supreme Court no later than November 20. The government requested that the Ninth Circuit stay its order pending the Supreme Court's resolution of that petition. On November 21, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the federal government's motion, noting that jurisdiction was with the District Court and instructing the federal government that further relief must be sought in a new petition for mandamus.
Meanwhile, in the District Court, Judge Alsup on November 20 agreed to stay all discovery until December 22 when the augmented administrative record would be due.
On December 1, 2017, the government filed notice that it appealed the Ninth's Circuit denial of mandamus relief and applied for a stay to the Supreme Court. On December 20 in a per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court vacated the Ninth Circuit's denial and remanded the case, arguing that the District Court should have stayed implementation of the October 17 order compelling the government to complete the administrative record. The Supreme Court stated that the lower court should have "first resolved the Government’s threshold arguments" (that the Acting Secretary’s determination to rescind DACA is unreviewable because it is “committed to agency discretion,” 5 U. S. C. §701(a)(2), and that the Immigration and Nationality Act deprives the District Court of jurisdiction). Either of those arguments, if accepted, likely would eliminate the need for the District Court to examine a complete administrative record. 138 S.Ct. 443 (2017). The same day, the District Court stayed the order compelling the government to complete the administrative record. 138 S.Ct. 371 (2017).
On January 9, 2018, the court denied the government's motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and provided provisional relief to the plaintiffs. The order indicated the court would separately dismiss the government's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. The court ordered a nationwide preliminary injunction, ordering that DACA remain in effect on the same terms and conditions that existed prior to the rescission. However, the government did not need to process new applications from individuals who had never before received deferred action. 279 F. Supp. 3d 1011. The court then granted in part and denied in part the government's motion to dismiss on January 12, dismissing the plaintiffs' Regulatory Flexibility Act and equitable estoppel claims as well as the individual plaintiffs' declaratory relief claims. The court sustained the plaintiffs' APA, due process, and equal protection claims (with a few exceptions from the various complaints of the related cases). 298 F. Supp.3 d 1304.
The government appealed to the Ninth Circuit on January 16, 2018. The government also sought certiorari from the US Supreme Court on January 18 while the Ninth Circuit appeal was pending, arguing that the Supreme Court's immediate review was warranted because of how long the appeal would take in the Ninth Circuit and how time-sensitive the issue was. The Supreme Court denied cert without prejudice on February 26, 2018, indicating the justices assumed "that the Court of Appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case." 138 S.Ct. 1182.
The related cases were consolidated in the Ninth Circuit for the purposes of appeal. In February and March 2018, the parties and amici filed their briefs, which can be found here.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's rulings on November 8, 2018. The panel held that the government's decision to rescind DACA was reviewable because the government was not exercising discretion in rescinding the program, but rather acting out of a belief that DHS lacked the authority to issue DACA in the first place, and so rescission was necessary. The panel further concluded the decision was reviewable because it did not fall within one of the three discrete occasions when the INA bars judicial review of DHS decisions. 2018 WL 5833232.
As to the merits of a preliminary injunction, the panel held that "DACA was a permissible exercise of executive discretion," and that the government's belief that DACA was illegal was wrong. Thus, the panel concluded the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits in showing that the rescission was arbitrary and capricious under the APA. The panel also held that a nationwide injunction was appropriate because it "promotes uniformity in immigration enforcement, and is necessary to provide the plaintiffs here with complete redress." Id.
The defendants petitioned the Supreme Court of the U.S. for a writ of certiorari on Nov. 5, 2018.
On June 28, 2019, the Supreme Court granted writs of certiorari in three DACA cases: Regents of University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Batalla Vidal v. Nielsen, and NAACP v. Trump, all of which were pending before different circuit courts of appeal. The Court consolidated the three cases (No. 18-587).
The Supreme Court heard oral argument on November 12, 2019, on the issues of whether DHS's decision to wind down the DACA policy is judicially reviewable and whether DHS’s decision to rescind DACA is lawful. On June 18, 2020, in an opinion by Chief Justice Roberts (joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor), the Court held that the DACA rescission was subject to judicial review under the APA, that the DHS secretary had offered insufficient justification to rescind the program, and that the rescission was unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious in violation fo the APA. 140 S. Ct. 1891.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, in another case challenging the DACA recession, Casa De Maryland v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Fourth Circuit issued a mandate to reinstate DACA and set aside the recession memo on a nationwide basis on June 30, 2020. On July 17, 2020, the District Court of Maryland ordered DHS to reinstate DACA as it existed before the issuance of the recession memo and ordered DHS to resume accepting initial DACA applications.
However, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf instead issued a memorandum entitled "Reconsideration of the June 15, 2012 Memorandum Entitled 'Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children" on July 28, 2020 ("Wolf Memorandum"). In this memo, Acting Secretary Wolf stated that he would reconsider DACA's future in light of the Supreme Court's decision. In the interim, the memo instructed USCIS to reject all initial requests for DACA, to only grant advance parole to current DACA beneficiaries in exceptional circumstances, and grant DACA renewals for only one-year, rather than two-year, periods. Later in August, Deputy Director for Policy for USCIS Joseph Edlow issued a memorandum implementing the Wolf Memorandum.
On August 4, 2020, the Ninth Circuit remanded the case to the district court for further action consistent with the opinion of the Supreme Court.
In response to the Wolf Memorandum, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on November 2, 2020. In the amended complaint, the plaintiffs substituted some of the defendants to reflect new individuals occupying the relevant roles and to add additional responsible officials, including Deputy Director for Policy Edlow. The amended complaint argued that the Acting Secretary Wolf actions were invalid under the Federal Vacancies Reform Action, Homeland Security Act, and the Appointments Clause of the Constitution because he lacked proper authority to issue the Wolf Memorandum. In addition, the plaintiffs argued that the Wolf Memorandum and Edlow Memorandum violated the APA because Wolf and Edlow acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner. The plaintiffs sought declaratory relief and an injunction preventing the defendants from altering or limiting DACA program and vacating the Wolf and Edlow Memoranda.
Before any additional activity on the amended complaint in this case, on December 4, the court in another case challenging the Wolf Memorandum,Batalla Vidal v. Nielsen and State of New York v. Trump, ordered DHS to fully reinstate DACA as it existed prior to the attempted recession in September 2017 after it found that Acting Secretary Wolf was not lawfully serving as Acting Secretary. The order required DHS to accept initial DACA applications, accept advance parole applications, and grant DACA renewals for two-years. On December 7, 2020 USCIS updated their website and indicated that effective that day, USCIS would accept initial applications, extend one-year DACA renewals to two-years, and accept applications for advance parole.
Then, in early 2021, President Biden took office. On the day of his inauguration (January 20, 2021), President Biden signed a memorandum directing DHS and the Attorney General “to preserve and fortify DACA.” In light of potential additional agency action to implement the memorandum, the parties filed a joint stipulation to stay further proceedings and vacate pending deadlines on March 22, 2021. They agreed to provide the court with status updates every 60 days. The first is due May 24, 2021. This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Jamie Kessler (9/25/2017)
Virginia Weeks (11/8/2018)
Sam Kulhanek (2/14/2020)
Emily Kempa (5/14/2021)
State of New York v. Trump, Eastern District of New York (2017)
City of San Jose v. Trump, Northern District of California (2017)
Garcia v. United States of America, Northern District of California (2017)
County of Santa Clara v. Trump, Northern District of California (2017)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6150482/parties/state-of-california-v-department-of-homeland-security/
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Abrams, David Gordon (California)
Acker, Frederick W (California)
Acker, Frederick W (California)
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Abrams, David Gordon (California)
Acker, Frederick W (California)
Acker, Frederick W (California)
Acquisto, Stephen (California)
Akers, Nicklas Arnold (California)
Akers, Nicklas Arnold (California)
Altman, Stephen D (California)
Alweiss, Daniel B. (California)
Ang-Olson, Saralyn M. (California)
Antonen, Charles J. (California)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (California)
Armitage, Michael L (California)
Arthur, Elizabeth G. (California)
Aschemann, Dale J. (California)
Baxter, Douglas E (California)
Beato, Andrew Michael (California)
Belton, Sarah Elizabeth (California)
Berger, Justin Theodore (California)
Berumen, Adelina O (California)
Boman, Jeffrey Kent (California)
Bragg, R. Lawrence (California)
Broussard, Connie Alison (California)
Burrell, Meredith (California)
Burrell, Meredith (California)
Byrne, Robert William (California)
Byrne, Robert William (California)
California, State of (California)
Cayaban, Michael P (California)
Chesley, Stanley Morris (California)
Chesley, Stanley Morris (California)
Chiv, Debbie Chiv (California)
Chizewer, David Joel (California)
Chizewer, David Joel (California)
Chuang, Christine (California)
Clayton, Lindsay Laurie (California)
Cohen, Frederick H. (California)
Coles, Rachel Anne (California)
Cordero, Antonette Benita (California)
Corrigan, Virginia E (California)
Cueto, Christopher F. (California)
Daniels, Isabel Melissa (California)
Davidson, Jeffrey Michael (California)
Dekarske, Jennifer (California)
Delaney, Royston H. (California)
Durrell, Suzanne E. (California)
Durrell, Suzanne E. (California)
Egan, Stephen James (California)
Ehrlich, Lisa Catherine (California)
Eichenholtz, Seth D. (California)
Elias, Nimrod Pitsker (California)
Eligator, David A (California)
Eligator, David A (California)
Epstein, Paul Curtis (California)
Eskandari, Bernard Ardavan (California)
Estes, Polly Jessica (California)
Estes, Polly Jessica (California)
Farmer, Gary Michael (California)
Farringer, Craig S. (California)
Fenwick, Dennis Tay (California)
Fenwick, Dennis Tay (California)
Frankel, Brian Vincent (California)
Franklin, Siobhan A (California)
Fretz [inactive], Rebekah A. (California)
Gaur, Tatiana Koleva (California)
General, Attorney (California)
George, William David (California)
Gervey, Gabriel Ross (California)
Goldberg, Arthur R (California)
Grantham, William G. (California)
Gregory, Jennifer Suzanne (California)
Gregory, Jennifer Suzanne (California)
Griffin, Philip C (California)
Grossenbacher, Gary M (California)
Grossenbacher, Glenn D (California)
Guerrero, Jose Refugio (California)
Guillon, Leslie Sindelar (California)
Gurland, Harvey W. (California)
Hamilton, Raymond W. (California)
Hammerness, Paul T. (California)
Hansen, Greta Suzanne (California)
Harrington, Quinn Patrick (California)
Harris, Wilmer J. (California)
Heller, Thomas G. (California)
Hendry, Melanie Dyani (California)
Hightower, Bart Ellis (California)
Hirst, Michael Andrew (California)
Hirst, Michael Andrew (California)
Hivoral, Carlotta R. (California)
Hodges, David Wayne (California)
Horwitz, Matthew Joseph (California)
Houten, Kathryn E (California)
Hurtado, Samuel A. (California)
Iverson, David Peter (California)
Johnson, Cheryl L. (California)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (California)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (California)
Jorgenson, Michael W. (California)
Jorgenson, Michael W. (California)
Kagay, Charles M. (California)
Kaminski, Gerald Francis (California)
Kaufman, Peter Hart (California)
Keegan, Ruth Fuess (California)
Keller, John Timothy (California)
Kennebrew, Delora (California)
Kieley, Max Hollister (California)
Kieschnick, Hannah (California)
Kilman, Matthew Christopher (California)
Kinner, Russell B (California)
Kleiman, Mark Allen (California)
Kramer, Steven B. (California)
Kuehler, Natalie Nancy (California)
Laird, T Michelle (California)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (California)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (California)
Leftridge, Dustin A. (California)
Levingston, Luttrell (California)
Leyton, Stacey M. (California)
Liao, Wayne Ming-Cheng (California)
Liao, Wayne Ming-Cheng (California)
Liddy, Raymond J. (California)
Linesch, David J. (California)
Linesch, David J. (California)
Littlewood, William H. (California)
Loach, Judith Joyce (California)
Loach, Judith Joyce (California)
Madison, Thomas S (California)
Magnanini, Robert A. (California)
Manford, Richard Lee (California)
Manford, Richard Lee (California)
Margolis, Donald Paul (California)
Margolis, Donald Paul (California)
Markovits, Wilbert Benjamin (California)
MCBRIDE, RALPH D. (California)
MCBRIDE, RALPH D. (California)
McEldrew, James Joseph (California)
McEvoy, Lauren Mary (California)
McKenna-DOJ, Sean Robert (California)
McKenna-DOJ, Sean Robert (California)
McKey, Jamie Jean (California)
Meadows, Susan K. (California)
Melnick, Marc Nathaniel (California)
Miller, Tiphanie P. (California)
Minnesota, State of (California)
Modlin, Craig Eugene (California)
Moore, Paul Andrew (California)
Moylan, Christina M. (California)
Murphy, Michael D (California)
Murphy, Michael D (California)
Mustokoff, Michael M. (California)
Nannis, Veronica Byam (California)
Newman, Michael L. (California)
Nguyen, Giam Minh (California)
NOVOSAD, HEATH A. (California)
O'Brien, Thomas Peter (California)
Office, United States (California)
Oliver-Thompson, Megan (California)
Olsen, Kristen Marie (California)
Orent, Jonathan D. (California)
Ostrick, Gary Arnold (California)
Overton, Troy Bentley (California)
Passe, Julianna F. (Minnesota)
Patwardhan, Kimberly L (Maine)
Paul, Nicholas N. (California)
Paul, Nicholas N. (California)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (California)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (California)
Pham, Doan-Phuong (Pamela) (California)
Pinal, Randall Anthony (California)
Price, Terry Russell (California)
Price, William Russell (California)
Quinones, Marcelo (California)
Radez, Kathleen Vermazen (California)
Raghunathan, Sangeetha M. (California)
Reinsmoen, Matthew P (California)
Rodriquez, Matthew (California)
Rosenbaum, Mark Dale (California)
Rudman, Samuel Howard (California)
Sadowski, Robert Wayne (California)
Salazar, Emmanuel Ramon (California)
Salazar, Joseph A. (California)
SALIM, ROBERT LYLE (California)
Seidman, Barbara Jo (California)
Shalaby, Andrew Wagdy (California)
Shartsis, Arthur J (California)
Shaw, Peter James (California)
Sherman, William R. (California)
Shivpuri, Shubhra (California)
Sisneros, Eliseo Zamora (California)
Smith, Sterling A. (California)
Stengle, Linda Jeffries (California)
Stumme, Rebekka L (California)
Sugarman, Kenneth J (California)
Sullivan, Steven M. (Maryland)
Sullivan, Timothy Eugene (California)
Sullivan, Roger M. (California)
Thomas, Shanna Michelle (California)
Thomas, Robert M. (California)
Thomas, Robert M. (California)
Torgun, George Matthew (California)
Trice, Laura Susan (California)
Vincent, Jeffrey Richard (California)
Vincent, Jeffrey Richard (California)
Walle, Erin McCarthy (California)
Weingarten, Daniel Pierre (California)
Wheeler, Joseph R. (California)
Wiener, Jonathan Andrew (California)
Wiethe, Donetta Donaldson (California)
Williams, James Robyzad (California)
Wilner, Brent Walter (California)
Woodbridge, Catherine (California)
Wotring, Earnest William (California)
Wyckoff, Scott Holmes (California)
Yanchunis, John Allen (California)
Yew, Bernice Ling (California)
Young, James Dennis (California)
Zahradka, James F. II (California)
Zahradka [inactive], James (California)
Zelidon-Zepeda, Jose A (California)
Zelidon-Zepeda, Jose A (California)
Batucan, Anna Lauren (California)
Bein, Philip Michael (California)
Bernhardt, Julia Doyle (California)
Blumenthal, Richard (California)
Boynton, Brian M (District of Columbia)
Brockman, William F (California)
Casey, Meghan Kathleen (California)
Casey, Meghan Kathleen (California)
Curran, J. Joseph (California)
Dunklow, Alan John (California)
Feldstein, Mira Aviv (California)
Forsythe, Jennifer Sherburne (California)
Gov, Bridgette Williams (California)
Greenwald, Gary Douglas (California)
Grubbs, Donell Roy (California)
Lamont, Colleen A (California)
Levine, Jason Lee (California)
Lewis, James Nelson (California)
Marshall, Genevieve Goodrow (California)
Marshall, Genevieve Goodrow (California)
Martin, Shelly Marie (California)
Maryland, State of (California)
Matelson, Bennett (California)
McDonald, Michele J. (California)
Miyashiro, Duane R. (California)
Nolan, Margaret Ann (California)
Pezzi, Stephen M. (District of Columbia)
PHV, Jennifer Lynn (California)
Pothier, Karl Aram (California)
Rosenberg, Brad P. (District of Columbia)
Rosenthal, Robert (California)
Schoen, Elliott L (California)
Sclarsic, Jonathan (California)
Shelton, Gloria Wilson (California)
Shumate, Brett (District of Columbia)
Simmonsen, Derek Spencer (California)
Smith, Thaddeus Byron (California)
Snyder, Adam Dean (California)
Stamler, Patricia A. (California)
Underwood, Barbara D. (California)
Vainieri, Emily A (California)
Vainieri, Emily A (California)
Vignarajah, Thiruvendran (California)
Walker, Schonette (California)
Wazenski, Jennifer L (California)
Weber, Stephanie Judith (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6150482/state-of-california-v-department-of-homeland-security/
Last updated April 27, 2024, 3:04 a.m.
State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Immigration Enforcement Order Challenges
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 11, 2017
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
States of California, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Department of Homeland Security, Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
U.S. Supreme Court merits opinion
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order
Source of Relief:
Content of Injunction:
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Immigration/Border:
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)