US court rules against Obama on immigration measures
A federal appeals court on Monday blocked
measures announced by US President Barack
Obama last year that give work permits and
deportation protection to some four million
undocumented migrants.
Obama issued decrees in November 2014
allowing people who illegally immigrated
to the United States but whose children
are legal residents, to remain in the
country while their legal status is
resolved and be allowed to work.
The measure affects more than four
million people who would otherwise risk
deportation.
Obama’s measures however were quickly
challenged by conservative governors of
26 US states, arguing that it was up to
Congress, and not the president, to enact
immigration reform. A federal court in
Texas in February ruled in their favor.
On Monday, in a 2-1 vote, the Fifth
Circuit Appeals Court based in New
Orleans ruled against an Obama
administration request to overturn the
February ruling.
There are nearly 12 million
unauthorized immigrants living in the
United States. Republicans and
Democrats agree that sweeping
immigration reform is long overdue, but
bitterly disagree on how to do it.
The Obama administration insists that
the president has the authority to issue
such immigration decrees.
Now they must take their case to the US
Supreme Court, and it’s unclear if a
ruling can be issued before Obama
leaves office in January 2017.
Monday’s ruling asserts “that the
separation of powers remains the law of
the land, and the president must follow
the rule of law, just like everybody else,”
said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton,
whose state is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Paxton said that the Obama
administration had “aggressively
disregarded the constitutional limits on
executive power.”
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who
supports immigration reform, said that
the ruling was disappointing but not
surprising.
He said however that now the path was
open for the Supreme Court to have a
final say on the measures.
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