Justice Department appeals immigration ruling

Texas claimed that issuing these licenses to additional immigrants deemed lawfully present in the USA would cost them several million dollars, so it sought a preliminary injunction to halt the program.

In its filing Friday, the Obama Justice Department characterized the three-year amnesty as a way to more quickly release illegal immigrants it doesn’t want to deport. Those eligible for the program must apply and decisions are made on a case by case basis, she said. Solicitor General Donald B.

“The court of appeals judgment enjoins nationwide a federal policy of great importance to federal law enforcement, to many states and to millions of families with longstanding and close connections with this country, ” the administration argued in court documents.

The administration had said on November 10 that it planned an appeal.

The Obama administration has repeatedly argued that Obama’s actions have a sound legal underpinning, and that they should be implemented while the courts decide.

Technically, the case has reached the Supreme Court while still in a pre-trial stage. In doing so, the Supreme Court could have the chance to set aside the anti-immigrant politics that motivated the lawsuit and give immigrant families a chance to live and contribute to the country without fear of deportation and family separation. The court had agreed to hear the “appeal on an expedited basis” in March while oral arguments were conducted on July 10.

Immigration advocates are hoping that the justices will take up the case and rule in favor of the president by June. “This lawsuit is preventing people who have been part of our communities for years from working on the books, contributing to our economy by paying taxes on that work, and being held accountable”.

The 26 states seeking to block DAPA and DACA’s expansion programs are Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Legal papers filed with the court on Friday call for the court’s “immediate review” of the administration’s desire to protect as many as 5 million immigrants.

Smith was joined by Circuit Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod. Republicans largely oppose the executive actions. “The path is finally clear for the Supreme Court to weigh in and confirm the legality of the expanded DACA and DAPA programs”, Sen.

It would be adding to a docket filled with election-year controversies: a review of abortion restrictions passed by the states, whether universities may consider race when making admission decisions, and whether religious freedom means that a few organizations do not have to comply with a mandate in the Affordable Care Act requiring insurance coverage of contraceptives for women. Hanen said that that the executive actions would place a heavy burden on the states’ resources.

Verrilli also contends that past Supreme Court cases afford the president broad discretion in enforcing the immigration laws. “I look forward to the day that we remove the shadow of deportation and finally allow them to step into the light”.