Judge’s Politicized and Poorly-Argued Decision Will Be Overturned
The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the temporary injunction against DACA and DAPA issued by Judge Andrew Hanen last night:
Judge Hanen’s ruling is a setback that was expected and will be temporary. This decision, by a judge notorious for his hostility to immigrants and to Obama, will not stand. As it moves up the judicial ladder, serious jurists will apply the law, decide that it is well within established legal authority and historical precedent and the programs will be fully implemented.
DACA expansion and DAPA represent a huge turning point for the immigration debate. They will lay the groundwork for a day when public support for immigration reform with a path to citizenship is translated into legislation. The executive actions re-set enforcement priorities so the government focuses on bad actors not average families. This is why immigration reform opponents are fighting so hard to stop these policies before they start. This is their last-ditch effort to interrupt the inevitable.
But supporters of common-sense immigration reform are confident we have the law on our side, public opinion on our side and the votes in Congress on our side. After the legal process is exhausted, at least five million immigrants settled in America will be able to come forward, apply for relief, register with the government, go through background checks, and—if they clear these hurdles—obtain temporary work and travel papers. This may be a delay, but it is not a defeat. We will prevail and we look forward to implementing a sea change in immigration policy sooner rather than later.
For many years, Americans and public officials across the country have taken steps on their own to integrate and accommodate immigrants who are part of the community. They did so because our politicians in Washington refused to act. Now many of these same politicians in 26 states have decided to undo the very work of their own communities. And there will be a terrible price to pay for their crass political maneuvering.
