Obama Administration Files Request for Supreme Court Review of Executive Actions on Immigration

Causa Oregon: It’s Time for the Supreme Court to Put an End to Uncertainty and Fear for Immigrant Families and US Citizen Children

 Salem, OR-  Today, the U.S. Department of Justice formally filed a request for the Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling that blocked implementation of President Obama’s executive immigration actions.  The announcement today paves the way for the Supreme Court to put the remaining legal questions to rest so that over 5 million US citizen children can finally have stability and be free from the fear that they will one day be separated from their parents.

“We urge the U.S. Supreme Court to take up this case and set aside the politics that motivated this anti-immigrant lawsuit, and—to once and for all—give hard working immigrant families the chance to live and work without fear of deportation,” said Andrea Miller, Causa’s Executive Director.

The request from the Obama Administration for the Supreme Court to review the case, Texas v. U.S., comes during the week of the one-year anniversary of the President’s announcement of the new programs. The immigration programs would expand eligibility for the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and expand protections for parents of U.S. citizens through a program known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA).  Together, the programs would allow millions of immigrant families to remain in the United States without fear of deportation and apply for a work authorization permit for a period of three years with the possibility of renewal.

In Oregon, over 60,000 undocumented individuals would be eligible for the programs, and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales have expressed support for the programs.

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans upheld the preliminary injunction on the relief programs put in place earlier this year by a district court in Texas.  Both flawed court rulings failed to recognize that the President’s announcements amount to a common-sense and lawful use of executive discretion.

“The delay in the availability of DAPA and expanded DACA has caused continued separation of families and instability for thousands of Oregon children with immigrant parents. Causa and community members have fought for years to keep families together, and we’ll continue to make our voices heard so that administrative relief becomes a reality for our families” said Lorena Manzo, Lead Organizer of Causa.  

While the ruling from the federal appeals court came months after it was expected, the swift filing for Supreme Court review from the Department of Justice means the Supreme Court’s procedures could allow for the case to be heard and decided this term--by the end of June 2016. In doing so, the Supreme Court could have the chance to set aside the anti-immigrant politics that motivated the lawsuit and give immigrant families a chance to live and contribute to the country without fear of deportation and family separation.

Recent organizing efforts in Woodburn, Oregon have amplified the need for the Supreme Court to resolve the issue this term. On November 20at 5:30pm, Causa, PCUN and Radio Movimiento will hold a community forum in recognition of the one year anniversary since President Obama announced the expansion of deferred action and to update community members about the lawsuit’s movement through the courts.

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