Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it was deadlocked in a case involving President Barack Obama’s executive actions on the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 4-4 tie affirmed the ruling of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which blocks both the implementation of DAPA and the expansion of DACA.
In November 2014, President Obama announced several executive immigration initiatives, among them creating DAPA and expanding DACA. These two initiatives would allow millions of immigrants to come forward and apply for protection from deportation and a work permit, provided they have lived in the United States continuously since January 1, 2010, and have passed required background checks. Most importantly, they would keep families united.
Soon after the President announced these initiatives, Texas, along with 25 other states, filed a lawsuit challenging them. In February 2015, a federal district court in Texas issued a nationwide order that put the DAPA and expanded DACA programs on hold. President Obama’s administration quickly appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. On November 9, 2015, a divided panel of the Fifth Circuit issued a decision that affirms the Texas federal district court’s order that temporarily blocks DAPA and the expansion of DACA. The following day, the Justice Department announced it would appeal the ruling to the United States Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court’s decisions regarding President Obama’s executive actions on DAPA and DACA represent a sad day for Texas families,” said Rep. Anchia. “Nobody should be celebrating the loss of compassion or the failure to do justice. Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue in this country, and Congress should put aside its intransigence on this issue and work to pass legislation that will ultimately benefit employers, workers and families.”
