In response to news that the Department of Justice has filed a rehearing petition in U.S v. Texas case challenging President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, the following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
The Department of Justice made the right call today by asking for a rehearing in United States v. Texas. And, the Supreme Court should grant that request.
Last month’s 4-4 tie in the Supreme Court was tremendous blow to millions of immigrant families who are long overdue for relief. This case reflects what happens when politicians and members of the judiciary play politics with people’s lives. And because Republicans in the Senate refuse to do their job and appoint a successor to Justice Scalia until the elections are over, they have left the Court without a tie-breaking vote at a time when major national cases are on their docket.
The 2012 DACA program for Dreamers transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. The 2014 expansion of DACA, and new policy for parents of U.S. citizens, would do the same for others on an even larger scale, explaining why last month’s Supreme Court deadlock was so heartbreaking and unjust. Given the lives at stake, we join the Department of Justice in calling for a rehearing of the case before a fully staffed bench—this issue is just too important to leave to the tied decision of a hamstrung court.
