Supreme Court Silence Clears Path for DACA Applications in 49 States

With no appeal filed, Fifth Circuit ruling stands—blocking new applications only in Texas while offering a potential lifeline elsewhere.

WASHINGTON — A long-running legal battle over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program may soon allow new applications to be processed in 49 states, following a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the expiration of a deadline to seek U.S. Supreme Court review, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) announced Tuesday.