The US government is seek a stay of the decision by a federal court judge to put the brakes on President Obama’s executive actions on immigration reform that would see millions of undocumented immigrants given work permits and protected from deportation.
Paperwork will be filed today in a federal court in Texas, according to the White House. Josh Earnest, White House spokesman, explained that this decision is separate to the government’s plan to take the ruling of Texas US District Judge Andrew Hanen to appeal and that the president remains convinced of the legality of his executive orders. Hanen’s ruling was a result of the lawsuit filed against Obama’s executive action by 26 states.
“The law is on our side and history is on our side,” Obama claims. “This is not the first time where a lower court judge has blocked something or attempted to block something that ultimately is going to be lawful, and I’m confident that it is well within my authority.” Although legal experts claim the move may not be successful, it is a clear sign that the administration intends to take a very aggressive approach in dealing with those attempting to block immigration reform.
By taking such a step the government is sending immigrant advocates a strong message, many of whom have expressed frustration with the delay and fear that the legal uncertainty may deter thousands of immigrants from submitting applications.