DOJ Calls DACA Unlawful, Says It Won't Defend Program In Lawsuit

The U.S. Department of Justice seems to agree with the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is unlawful.

Texas and six other states sued the federal government to end DACA last month. The states say the program, which offers protections to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, is unconstitutional.

In a filing Friday, the DOJ said it won't defend DACA in the suit and called the program "an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws."

This isn't exactly shocking news — the Trump administration announced it planned to terminate the program last year.

And Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a long-time DACA opponent.

Multiple nationwide rulings have allowed the program to continue. But the states said in their lawsuit they want DACA to be effectively phased out "within two years."

Additional reporting by Newsy affiliate CNN.