President Biden is expected to meet with 11 congressional Democrats on Thursday to discuss plans for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children, Axios reported, citing a White House official.
Axios reported that the lawmakers include Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Bob Menendez (N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.).
They will be joined by Reps. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Raul Ruiz (Calif.), Pete Aguilar (Calif.), Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.) and Linda Sanchez (Calif.)
The meeting follows a ruling by a federal judge in Texas earlier this month that said that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a 2012 Obama-era program created through executive order in order to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation, could no longer accept new applications.
Judge Andrew Hanen, citing DACA recipients’ increased reliance on the program, said that those currently enrolled in the program could continue receiving their benefits and apply to renew them, pending a future order from himself, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.
