Docmary Reyes, 21, left, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient on her way to the University of California, Davis, joins supporters of the DACA program during a protest in Los Angeles. | Richard Vogel/AP Photo UC system files suit over DACA

LOS ANGELES — The University of California and its president, a former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on Friday filed suit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, claiming it violates due process provisions of the Constitution.

The lawsuit comes two days after 15 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the order, which affects thousands of undocumented people brought the country illegally as children.


The University of California and its president, Janet Napolitano, said the lawsuit was the first to be filed by a university.

“Neither I, nor the University of California, take the step of suing the federal government lightly, especially not the very agency that I led,” Napolitano, a former Arizona governor and Obama-era secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a prepared statement. “It is imperative, however, that we stand up for these vital members of the UC community. They represent the best of who we are — hard working, resilient and motivated high achievers. To arbitrarily and capriciously end the DACA program, which benefits our country as a whole, is not only unlawful, it is contrary to our national values and bad policy.”

Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, has said he also plans to file suit against the administration. California was not among the earlier states to file suit.

The University of California said it has about 4,000 students who are undocumented, “a substantial number of whom have DACA.” Immigration is a major issue in heavily Democratic California, where the UC allows so-called Dreamers to pay in-state tuition and offers legal services to undocumented students.

