Along with Cesar (in photo) and his family, we are disappointed that a district judge temporarily blocked the implementation of the President’s executive actions on immigration. We are confident this is a temporary delay and we continue, along with our partners, to help individuals and families get ready to apply for relief.
We have been working with our partners at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) to spread the word about the delay and to assure the community that we continue to fight for reform, both temporary and permanent. We are also continuing with enrollment and renewals for the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that is unaffected by this ruling.
Important points to note by the National Immigration Law Center:
- The district court’s ruling is merely the end of the first chapter of a very long book. We are confident that the courts will ultimately uphold the President’s important decision to allow millions of aspiring Americans to come forward and apply for the opportunity to contribute more fully to their communities and country.
- The court’s decision is outside the legal mainstream. Legal leaders — on both sides of the ideological spectrum — agree that the President’s actions are fully legal. We are confident that the courts will agree.
- We will move forward. [This] news was deeply disappointing, but we will not be deterred. We fought hard to ensure that millions of aspiring Americans could come forward and apply for the opportunity to contribute more fully to their communities. We will continue to fight — in our communities, in Washington, and in the courtroom — until the immigration initiatives President Obama announced last year become reality.
- Proponents of the lawsuit are playing politics with peoples’ lives. While millions of aspiring Americans wait for the opportunity to help move their economies and communities forward, the states have made it their mission to do the exact opposite.
- The existing DACA program is still in effect. People who were eligible for DACA under the previous program remain eligible for deferred action and work authorization. The new enforcement priorities memo is also still in effect.
- The court in Texas is not following strong legal precedent. As recently as 2012 in Arizona v. United States (the case involving Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law, SB 1070), the Supreme Court affirmed that the federal government had complete authority to establish deportation priorities, which the district court ruling actually recognizes. The district court’s ruling, however, is completely out of line with what the Supreme Court has already stated. Advocates call on the U.S. Department of Justice to take all available legal steps to quickly appeal this decision.
via the Administrative Relief Resource Center www.adminrelief.org
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Read more from our February 2015 Newsletter
Come to be inspired at our Cafecito April 24 at The Music City Center (or RSVP to Cara Ince here)
State Legislative Priority: Tuition Equality
Culinary Adventure to Ghana Africa with our Mezcla Mix & Master Cooking Class