Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to immediately end program protecting 'Dreamers' from deportation

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday dealt a setback to President Donald Trump, requiring his administration to maintain protections he has sought to end for hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally into the United States as children.

The justices refused to hear the administration's appeal of a federal judge's Jan. 9 injunction that halted Trump's move to end a program that benefits immigrants known as "Dreamers" implemented in 2012 by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. Under Trump's action, the protections were due to start phasing out beginning in March.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)