Immigrant families living in the United States were put at increased risk of break-up Monday after a federal appeals court blocked President Obama’s executive order deferring the deportation of millions of undocumented individuals.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld a lower court’s decision that prohibited the administration from implementing the order, ruling that it was an unconstitutional power grab.
The lawsuit was brought by 26 Republican state Attorneys General, led by Texas AG Ken Paxton.
“The president must follow the rule of law, just like everybody else,” he said in a statement after the ruling.
Following inaction from Congress on comprehensive immigration reform in 2014, the president granted deportation relief to roughly five million undocumented immigrants who are parents of US citizens. The policy stipulated that those eligible must be living in the country for at least five years and not otherwise violated the law.
Monday’s 2-1 decision by the appellate panel almost certainly will not be the last word on the matter, with a possible Supreme Court battle looming. Should the high court accept the administration’s appeal with haste, it could issue a ruling by next summer. Otherwise, it’s possible that President Obama will be out of office before he can fully implement one of his most significant executive actions.
There’s virtually no chance, however, that Congress will work with the administration on the matter. Before claiming the gavel, the new Speaker of the House Paul Ryan pledged that he would not bring a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the floor for a vote.
