© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U.S. Supreme Court Delivers Blow To Obama Immigration Directive

Jill Replogle
/
Fronteras

The U.S. Supreme Court also could not come to agreement on Thursday on President Obama’s controversial executive immigration order, meaning the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ previous decision rejecting the policy stands.

It is a major blow for Obama’s order. The immigration program, commonly called DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, had been blocked in February 2015 by Brownsville-based federal judge Andrew Hanen.

The program could have granted more than 4 million people living in the U.S. illegally deportation relief.  That’s including more than 1 million undocumented immigrants in Texas. It also would have allowed the immigrants to apply for renewable work permits if they have lived in the country for more than five years, pass background checks and pay fines.

In its single-sentence opinion, the Supreme Court declared, “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court."