Executive Action on Immigration Blocked by U.S. Fifth Circuit
Executive Action on Immigration Blocked by U.S. Fifth Circuit
(Washington, D.C.) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday against President Obama’s executive action on immigration which created the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program (DAPA) and sought to extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The Court upheld a lower court’s injunction barring the plan from taking effect while awaiting the outcome of full judicial consideration of the lawsuit’s underlying arguments. Despite a growing likelihood the order will be eventually heard at the U.S. Supreme Court, some national lawmakers are promising to go further than President Obama on immigration regardless of congressional approval
Jorge Lima, VP of Operations and Policy The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:
“A focus on unilateral presidential orders – instead of on bipartisan efforts to arrive at a consensus with Congress – has delayed the chances for real, lasting immigration reform. We see this in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court’s latest decision. In order to avoid the ambiguity and confusion surrounding our broken immigration system, reform must come through permanent changes in the law, not by executive actions aimed at addressing political concerns that are constitutionally questionable and can easily be repealed. Even the president expressed concerns about fixing our immigration problems through expanded executive actions, yet decided to go forward with it in 2014. That course has proven risky to many in our community, who still live in the shadows and continue to wait for a real opportunity to fully contribute to our economy and society. National lawmakers need to be leaders on this issue and show that they can negotiate across the aisle, rather than label those on the other side of the political spectrum as adversaries. Rather than doubling down on these unilateral efforts, it is time to work on legislative reform that could potentially benefit millions of immigrants, their families, and our nation.”
For Interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Josh Rivera, 202-763-4428
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