The court, which has twice rejected challenges to Mr. Obamas health care law, will now rule on the presidents plan to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation and allow them to work indefinitely in the country legally. The opposition parties have won every court round so far, most recently in November, when the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the states, prompting the Obama administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court.
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“The Supreme Court has already blocked many of President Obama’s power grabs”. Democratic presidential candidates have said they will continue the program, but most of the Republicans in the race have vowed to dismantle it and redouble immigration enforcement.
It may seem like nitpicking to some, but Stephen Legomsky, a former top immigration official, says that if any state can challenge an executive action on immigration, “the result would be that practically any favorable decision by the federal government on an immigration matter would give rise to lengthy lawsuits”.
The states said that the program “would be one of the largest changes in immigration policy in our nation’s history” and that it raises major issues involving the separation of powers and federalism.
“Like millions of families across this country – immigrants who want to be held accountable, to work on the books, to pay taxes and to contribute to our society openly and honestly – we are pleased that the Supreme Court has made a decision to review the immigration case”, White House spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine said.
On Tuesday, ABC’s World News Tonight didn’t find it pertinent to inform their millions of viewers that the Supreme Court decided hours earlier that it will hear a case concerning the legality of President Obama’s executive amnesty after having worked its way up through the federal court system.
“We have enough people here in America who have jobs and are citizens”, said Leroy resident, Deann Jacob. “If this can’t be a priority for the court in making a good decision…this won’t have a good impact on my kids or me”, she said. However, Roldan said the justices will look into more than President Obama’s authority to enact that immigration policy.
Wilson said this will be a step in the right direction, especially for Dreamers who were brought to the USA illegally as children.
Obama’s plan would shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from being deported.
According to groups such as Promise Arizona, thousands of undocumented immigrants have had their lives put on hold while a legal challenge works its way through the courts.
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But the White House contends Obama’s actions were within its prosecutorial discretion. In November 2014, Obama said in an Oval Office address to millions of illegal immigrants: “You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law”.
