Wednesday, December 2, 2015

More Than 200 Advocacy Groups Urge US Supreme Court to Unblock Obama's 2014 Immigration Reliefs

Posted By on Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 9:44 AM


A coalition of 224 immigration, civil rights, social service and labor groups is pleading the U.S. Supreme Court to review and undo a lower court's decision to continue blocking President Obama's executive actions on immigration.

The organizations filed on Tuesday what's called an amicus ("friend of the court") brief, according to the American Immigration Council, which is one of the groups involved.

On Nov. 20—exactly one year after the president issued an extension to his 2012 program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and created a relief for undocumented parents of U.S. citizen children or legal residents, known as DAPA—the Obama administration officially filed paperwork asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, involving a lawsuit led by Texas, challenging the constitutionality of extended DACA and DAPA, and to hopefully overturn the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to delay the implementation of both reliefs.

The groups cite the economic and social impact the programs will have if they're given the green light, and include stories and testimonials by those who would be affected by the reliefs—students, families, etc. Extended DACA and DAPA would grant renewable work permits and temporary permission to be in the U.S. to approximately 5 million undocumented people. 

"The sweeping injunction directly harms individuals who have either been in the U.S. since they were children or are the parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. By extension, the injunction also harms the families and communities of the millions of individual immigrants who can meet the application requirements," the brief says. "If the injunction is lifted, many deserving individuals will have access to better jobs and the ability to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and their communities. Family units will also be more secure, without the looming threat that loved ones will be deported."

"The people whose tribulations, struggles, and contributions to the United States are profiled here, and who represent countless others, illustrate the importance of this case to millions of individuals, their families, their communities, and the nation as a whole."

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested the Supreme Court to schedule a briefing during the current term, which means a decision could come by June of next year, a blog post from the American Immigration Council says. On Tuesday, the court rejected Texas' request for a 30-day filing extension, "which keeps the case on track for possible consideration before the court in 2016," the council adds.

Other organizations involved in the filing are the National Immigration Law Center, Service Employees International Union, LatinoJustice, and the American Federation of Labor.

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