By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON A U.S. judge in Texas ruled against a program offering deportation relief and work permits to immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, known as "Dreamers," even after an attempt by President Joe Biden's administration to bolster the program's standing with a new regulation.

The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen deals a fresh setback to the program, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Hanen, a Republican-appointed judge, found a Biden administration regulation issued last year did not remedy legal deficiencies that led him to find DACA unlawful in 2021 and blocked new enrollments to the program, which has been in place for more than a decade.

The ruling, which came in response to a lawsuit brought by Texas and other states, is expected to be appealed.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)