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U.S. NEWSWednesday 20 January 2016
Election-year clash on immigration heads to US Supreme Court
MARK SHERMAN Ingrid Vaca, originally of Bolivia speaks during rally for immigration reform in front of the White tion system. The Senate
Associated Press House in Washington. The Supreme Court has agreed to an election-year review of President did pass legislation on a
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama’s executive orders to allow up to 5 million immigrants to “come out of the shad- bipartisan vote, but House
The U.S. Supreme Court ows” and work legally in the U.S. Republicans refused to put
stepped into a boiling po- the matter to a vote.
litical dispute over immigra- (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Texas quickly led a legal
tion Tuesday, setting up a challenge to Obama’s
likely decision in the middle can governors, there would affect the parents of U.S. in the United States before program on behalf of 26
of a presidential campaign be roughly seven months citizens and lawful perma- they turned 16. states and has won every
marked by harsh rhetoric left in his presidency to im- nent residents, as well as “We are confident that round in court so far.
about immigrants. plement plans that would some people who arrived the policies will be upheld Most recently, in Novem-
The justices agreed to re- as lawful,” White House ber, the 5th U.S. Circuit
view whether President spokeswoman Brandi Hof- Court of Appeals ruled in
Barack Obama, acting fine said after the court’s favor of the states, prompt-
without congressional ap- announcement Tuesday. ing the appeal to the Su-
proval, has the power to At issue is the Deferred Ac- preme Court.
shield from deportation tion for Parents of Ameri- Texas actually asked the
up to 5 million immigrants cans program, which Supreme Court not to hear
living in the U.S. illegally Obama said in late 2014 the case challenging those
and make them eligible to would allow people who rulings, but state Attorney
work without fear of being have been in the United General Ken Paxton said
rounded up. States more than five years he was pleased the justices
Underscoring the political and who have children will examine the president’s
dimension, the case will who are in the country le- constitutional power to in-
be argued in April and de- gally to “come out of the tercede without congres-
cided by late June, about shadows and get right sional approval.
a month before both politi- with the law.” He also an- The U.S. solicitor general,
cal parties gather for their nounced the expansion Donald Verrilli Jr., said in his
nominating conventions. of a program that affects Supreme Court filing that
If Obama prevails against people who came here il- allowing the lower court
opponents led by Republi- legally as children. rulings to stand would force
That earlier program, De- millions of people “to con-
ferred Action for Childhood tinue to work off the books,
Arrivals, is not being chal- without the option of lawful
lenged and has resulted in employment to provide for
more than 720,000 young their families.”
immigrants being granted The administration said
permission to live and work Texas and the other states
in the United States. don’t even have the right
When he announced the to challenge the plan in
measures 14 months ago, federal court.
Obama said he was acting The lower courts decided
under his own authority be- that Texas does have the
cause Congress had failed right, or standing, to sue
to overhaul the immigra- because at least 500,000
people living in Texas
would qualify for work
permits and thus become
eligible for driver’s licenses,
the costs of which are sub-
sidized by the state. “Texas
would incur millions of dol-
lars in costs,” the state said
in its brief.
The justices also said they
would consider whether, if
the states can pursue their
lawsuit, Obama exceeded
his authority under federal
laws and the Constitution.
Some court observers saw
in the court’s decision to
look at Obama’s power
under the Constitution a
potentially ominous sign. q
