CNN's Chris Cuomo acknowledged that the DACA program has "been legally dubious" since its enactment during a debate Wednesday with Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores.
"There's no question it's been legally dubious from jump," Cuomo said at the end of their conversation. "Nobody's going to argue with that in a very compelling fashion. At least not this morning, but it's also about what are you going to do for these people. This is a moral argument, not just a legal one."
The exchange happened on CNN's "New Day" after a conversation on the Trump administration's decision to rescind DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the 2012 Obama-era program that shielded young illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. with their families from deportation.
Isgur Flores pointed out Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) said DACA was on shaky legal ground the day before.
"This instant nationwide injunction issue, look all of the guests you've had on, I've watched yesterday as well," she added. "You'll notice Dianne Feinstein saying this was on shaky legal ground. Constitutional scholars from the left saying, they also thought the court would give this nationwide injunction."
Cuomo and Isgur Flores went back and forth about the question of what will happen after DACA.
"The question becomes what happened after the orderly wind-down, and that's where we have a big question," Cuomo said.
"I don't think we have a question mark, the Department of Homeland Security has said exactly what will happen," Isgur Flores said. "Unfortunately this was unconstitutional to begin with so when it goes away we will revert back to the system we had before DACA."
"But that creates doubt about where those DEAMers are going to be," Cuomo said. "I think that's probably what motivated the president to say he'll revisit it," before being interrupted by Isgur Flores.
"And the last administration created this situation, unfortunately the pen and the phone doesn't work," she said. "As we saw when they were reversed unanimously by the Supreme Court more than any other administration in history."