Over the last two years, a Venable team – led by Marty Saad, Sameer Sheikh, and retired partner Bill Coston – co-authored and submitted seven amicus briefs on behalf of dozens of civil rights organizations challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
In their most recent brief, filed in the Supreme Court, the Venable attorneys argued that “DACA enrollees invested in job-specific training programs, enrolled in universities, obtained jobs as educators, purchased homes, and enlisted in the military in service of our country,” but that the Department of Homeland Security failed its obligation to consider these “reliance interests” prior to deciding to terminate the DACA program.
In yesterday’s landmark decision, the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion. Echoing arguments in briefs submitted by “respondents and amici,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “DACA recipients have enrolled in degree programs, embarked on careers, started businesses, purchased homes, and even married and had children, all in reliance on the DACA program.” Weighing these and other interests prior to deciding to terminate DACA “was the agency’s job, but the agency failed to do it.”
The Venable briefs benefited from the contributions and support of colleagues Matt McLaughlin, Mike Guerra, retired partner John Cooney, and Sarah Ross.
Click here to read Venable’s Supreme Court brief.
Prior coverage of the firm’s work with amici in support of DACA can be found here and here.