East County News Service
May 27, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an injunction issued by a federal court in Texas which blocks President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. The President’s order granted protection from immigration and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants.
Texas and 25 other states had sued to stop the President’s actions from taking effect this month as scheduled.
The appellate court also denied a request by the Obama administration to limit its injunction only to the 26 states that filed the lawsuit. Another 14 states filed motions in support of the Obama actions, stating they would increase tax revenues and bring economic growth.
The plaintiffs contended that the President lacked authority to make such broad changes to immigration policy without the consent of Congress, which has repeatedly blocked efforts at immigration reforms.
The White House has contended that executive action was needed to fix a broken immigration system.
The ruling was made by two of three judges on the appeals court. The Obama administration’s Justice Department may appeal the ruling to the full appeals court, or ask the Supreme Court to weigh in with a final decision.
The National Immigration Law Center executive director Marielena Hincapie voiced concerns that the lawsuit and now the delay will “confuse and instill fear” among immigrations, making it harder to carry out the order even if it is ultimately upheld. “Our communities suffer every single day,” she said, the New York Times reports.
The Fifth Circuit court will hear oral arguments on the appeal starting in July. Legal experts have indicated that the court found the request for an emergency stay of the injunction would not cause irreparable harm, but that the full court could still reverse the Texas judge’s ruling when it hears the merits of the case.
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