A Texas court will not lift its hold on President Obama’s immigration executive action.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, Texas — a city which borders Mexico — rejected a Department of Justice request to remove a temporary block on the immigration plan which would have shielded millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.
The block has been in place since February and garnered support of 26 U.S. states, which filed a subsequent lawsuit against the Obama administration for exceeding his powers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Patton accused the Obama administration of misleading the court on early implementation of expanded work permits to some 100,000 illegal immigrants.
“Any premature implementation could have serious consequences, inflicting irreparable harm on our state, and this ruling is key in determining the extent to which the federal government did not present the full truth in this case,” Paxton said.
The Justice Department already petitioned the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in March to lift Hanen’s hold, which has not yet decided on whether to do so.
Neither the Justice Department or the White House issued an immediate comment following the decision.
(h/t Reuters)
