Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing petition in the United States v. Texas immigration case around Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or DAPA, and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA+. Tom Jawetz, Vice President of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Center for American Progress is deeply disappointed that on the first day of its 2016-2017 term, a short-handed Supreme Court declined to rehear United States v. Texas, one of the most important cases in recent history. This decision is devastating and an important reminder of how crucial a well-functioning, full Supreme Court bench is to the lives of every American. In this case, more than 6.1 million U.S. citizens in states across the nation live with a DAPA-eligible family member who will remain in fear of deportation without the implementation of DAPA.
Given that DAPA and expanded DACA are based upon strong legal and historical precedent and are entirely legitimate exercises of discretion delegated by Congress, this case deserves proper consideration by a full Supreme Court bench. But this is not only a failure directly tied to the Supreme Court vacancy and Congress’ refusal to do its job and move forward with the nomination of Merrick Garland; it is also the result of years of failure by Congress to enact sensible immigration reform legislation. Though today’s decision is disappointing, the case continues, and we remain engaged in the fight on behalf of unauthorized immigrants, who are a crucial component of the country’s society and economy.
Center for American Progress experts are available to speak on this topic. To coordinate an interview, please contact Tanya Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.
Related resources:
###