Federal Judge Orders End to DACA; Current Enrollees Safe for Now 

HOUSTON - A federal judge in Texas on Friday ordered an end to an Obama-era program that prevented the deportations of some immigrants brought into the United States as children.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in favor of Texas and eight other conservative states that had sued to halt the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which provides limited protections to about 650,000 people. People who are already enrolled won't lose protections, but Hanen is barring the processing of new applications. Hanen's decision limits the immediate ability of President Joe Biden, who pledged during his campaign to protect DACA, to keep the program or something similar in place. His ruling is the second by a federal judge in Texas stopping Biden's immigration plans, after a court barred enforcement of Biden's 100-day stay on most deportations. Biden has proposed legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people who are living in the U.S. without authorization. He also ordered agencies to try to preserve the program.