DACA struck down again, but protections remain for current recipients

A federal judge on Wednesday again deemed illegal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Driving the news: DACA's protections will remain in place for more than half a million beneficiaries. However, no new applications will be allowed.

What they're saying: "As we have long maintained, we disagree with the District Court's conclusion that DACA is unlawful, and will continue to defend this critical policy from legal challenges," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"While we do so, consistent with the court's order, DHS will continue to process renewals for current DACA recipients and DHS may continue to accept DACA applications."