By Associated Press - Monday, February 26, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on a lawsuit alleging the U.S. government is unfairly revoking work permits from some immigrants (all times local):

7:30 p.m.

A U.S. judge has barred the government from revoking work permits of immigrants without giving them a chance to defend themselves.

The judge ruled Monday after hearing arguments in Los Angeles.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to block a Trump administration policy it claims arbitrarily targets people for deportation who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and had some permission to remain and work under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez issued a wide-spread injunction barring the government from revoking DACA status without providing previous notice and an explanation.

Those who’ve already lost their DACA status must have it reinstated.

The hearing came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up the Trump administration’s appeal of a court order requiring it to keep accepting DACA renewal applications.

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5:10 p.m.

A U.S. judge says he may allow a nationwide class-action lawsuit to proceed that alleges the government is unfairly revoking work permits from immigrants without giving them a chance to defend themselves.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez on Monday said he might block the government from yanking the permits without notice from immigrants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Gutierrez said he had reached a tentative decision before hearing arguments in Los Angeles from lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Trump administration. He has yet to issue a final ruling.

The ACLU alleges work permits have been revoked after recipients had run-ins with law enforcement but weren’t convicted of serious crimes.

Government lawyers say immigrants suspected of criminal activity but not convicted can still lose their permits because officials have discretion over participation in the program.

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12:20 p.m.

Immigrants who say their work permits have been unfairly revoked by the Trump administration plan to make their case in a California courtroom for a chance to have them restored.

A hearing is scheduled Monday in a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union alleging the U.S. government arbitrarily canceled immigrants’ work permits without giving them a chance to defend themselves.

They got the permits and protection from deportation under the Obama-era program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The suit alleges that immigrants had their participation in DACA revoked in many cases after run-ins with law enforcement, though they weren’t convicted of serious crimes.

Justice Department lawyers say government officials have discretion in these cases and that the immigrants whose permits were revoked were put into deportation proceedings after being arrested.

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