Democrats try to use budget reconciliation to break a decadeslong political impasse Participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program demonstrate outside the Supreme Court in June 2020. Associated Press/Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta (file) A federal judge in Texas awoke a political bear when he ruled on July 16 that former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy is unconstitutional. Judge Andrew Hanen said Obama should not have sidestepped Congress when creating the program. While his decision does not affect current DACA recipients— “Dreamers”— it halts new applications. President Joe Biden called the decision “deeply disappointing” and announced the Justice Department plans to appeal the ruling as all eyes turn to the legislative branch for immigration reform.