Hirono Applauds Supreme Court’s Decision To Hear Immigration Case

By agreeing to review the “deferred action” case on immigration, the Supreme Court is not only weighing in on the reach of presidential power, but choosing to insert itself into a hot-button issue that has always been debated across this country.

Initially, the Obama administration said Texas and the other states that filed to block the immigration action didn’t have the right to challenge the plan in federal court.

The court also added another issue to the case: whether the president violated the constitutional duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”.

Texas had asked the Supreme Court not to hear the case. Texas and 25 other Republican-led states sued to invalidate the program, arguing the president does “possess enforcement discretion” but lacks “inherent power to grant lawful presence and eligibility for over four million unauthorized aliens”, Texas said in a brief. The top U.S. court has not scheduled oral arguments in the case, but it is expected to render a decision by mid-June, with the USA election season in full swing and less than a month before the Republican and Democratic nominating conventions.

The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program was meant to expand a program that applied to immigrants in the country illegally who had come into the United States as children.

In November 2014, Obama announced a program to shield the parents of US citizens or lawful permanent residents from deportation and allow them to apply for work visas. The Court’s decision to examine the case was heralded by Republicans, including Sen. However, lower courts have said Texas has standing because it would be responsible for subsidizing costs like drivers licenses and work permits for 500,000 people if the program stands.

Stephanie Izaguirre, an immigration lawyer in Colorado Springs has seen more than 200 families since the president’s announcement in 2014. Under pressure from critics, the government in December stepped up deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records.

Even if the president gets his way, the executive actions could be short-lived if a Republican candidate is elected president in November.

If the court sides with the Obama administration, Obama would have until his term in office ends in January 2017 to implement the immigration plan.

“I’m scared that if I leave for work or take the kids to school, immigration officials will come get me”, said Amparo.

The case originated in the Western District of Texas and lost its second appeal at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

“We want answers. We want something to be resolved”, said Cristian.

“There’s no negative action that could happen, simply the lack of positive action”, says Tim Winn, Director of Immigration Legal Services at Catholic Charities Indianapolis.