California state leaders applaud Supreme Court's DACA decision

Thursday morning the Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants.

Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by the court's four liberal judges sided in the opinion of the court. The court's four other conservative judges dissented. In his dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas said he believed DACA was illegal from the moment it was passed in 2012. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch joined him in that opinion. In a separate dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he felt the Trump administration had taken appropriate action to end the program.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared the decision an "important victory" for Dreamers.

"Today's decision is an important victory, for now, for the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers -- including over 200,000 Californians -- who contribute deeply to their communities each day. They are our neighbors, our coworkers and our friends, and in California, we will continue to have their backs, said Newsom in a statement. "We need a permanent solution for undocumented Californians and acknowledge that a pathway to citizenship is not enough. This moment reminds us we are confronting the systemic injustice and racism that exists within our nation and institutions. We will fight for everyone to be treated with dignity and respect."

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also applauded the decision.

"Today, justice prevailed for every Dreamer who has worked hard to help build our country - our neighbors, teachers, doctors, and first responders. Today, America told the Dreamers that this is their home," said Attorney General Becerra in a statement. "The highest court in our land saw through the Trump Administration's illegal, baseless excuses. The Court agreed: If you work hard and play by the rules, you deserve a chance to get ahead. However, our fight doesn't end here: Congress can permanently fix our broken immigration system and secure a pathway to citizenship. As a former lawmaker who launched bipartisan immigration talks on Capitol Hill, I know first-hand that bipartisan support can - and must - exist. It will take all of us working together to get it done."