“There are going to be many cases that aren’t going to be resolved”, said David Schultz, a political analyst and professor at Hamline University, “Or that are going to resolved in ways that aren’t definitive”. She shows up at rallies, she said, as a way to repay the sacrifices they have made on her behalf.
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Fortunately, 26 states led by Texas filed a lawsuit (United States vs. Texas) against the Obama administration for acting without the consent of Congress.
If the Court strikes down the President’s program or sends it back to a lower court, nothing much would change for the 4 million immigrants who qualify until President Obama leaves office. “It’s as if … the president is setting the policy and the Congress is executing it”, he said. “That’s just upside down”.
Texas and 25 other states challenging the executive actions say the Obama administration overstepped its authority by granting the undocumented immigrants a legal status that gives them work authorization and other government benefits. It’s not the Supreme Court’s job, says the federal government, and it isn’t in the state’s purview. Verrilli said there were statutory constraints that would prevent the president from doing so. State officials said the programs would put a burden on the state’s driver’s license program.
The Court’s decision will affect only undocumented immigrants who meet three criteria: those who have not been found guilty of a crime; those who have been in the USA for the past five years or more; and those who have a child who was born here or lives here legally. Oral arguments in the case were heard Monday. But many conservatives take issue with the process as well as the procedure.
“It was pretty wonderful – camping out all night at the Supreme Court”, said Mendoza, whose entire family is undocumented, meaning the court’s decision could have a very direct impact on them.
The United States Supreme Court’s consideration of President Barack Obama’s initiatives on immigration got Inland activists on both sides of the issue out on the streets Monday, April 18. White House and Justice Department officials have defended Obama’s approach as legal and valuable.
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Obama’s plan was tailored to let roughly 4 million people – those who have lived illegally in the United States at least since 2010, have no criminal record and have children who are USA citizens or lawful permanent residents – get into a program that shields them from deportation and supplies work permits. The highest court will now decide whether the President’s deferred action initiatives announced in November 2014, known as expanded DACA and DAPA, move forward.
