Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for the Northern District of California [official website] on Tuesday temporarily blocked [order, PDF] the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) [official website] program, which gives undocumented immigrants brought into the US as children, known as “Dreamers,” protection from deportation.

In September the Trump administration announced plans to end [JURIST report] the DACA program, which was subsequently challenged by state attorneys general and individuals [JURIST reports].

Alsup ruled that although new applications for Dreamer status did not have to be processed, the program must continue to renew applications from those previously covered until lawsuits regarding those affected are resolved, finding that the plaintiffs’ arguments have merit. He advocated that the plaintiffs would be harmed by the program’s end, such as removal from the workforce.

In staying the decision to end the program, Alsup referred to the administration’s decision as “arbitrary and capricious,” and based on a flawed legal premise.

The Trump administration’s decision to disband [CNN report] DACA would affect nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants.