Kansas Joins Legal Challenge to DACA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The state of Kansas has joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the legality of an immigration program that grants temporary legal status to immigrants without proper documents who came to the U.S. as children.

The program, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was established by former President Barack Obama in 2012. About 7,000 people in Kansas have obtained work permits under DACA.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday he joined the lawsuit last week at the request of Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Colyer said in a statement the lawsuit seeks to roll back executive overreach of Obama’s presidency.

Schmidt said he delayed joining the lawsuit while hoping Congress would pass a law resolving the issue of possibly providing a path to citizenship for some of the immigrants.