Obama's Immigration Plan is Blocked by the Supreme Court

On Thursday, the US Supreme Court ruled 4-4 over Obama’s immigration plan. A plan that would allow 4 million illegal immigrants to be given work permits, instead of being deported.

The immigration deal would only have offered the work permits to Immigrants who have lived in the country since 2010 with no criminal record and have children who are US citizens.

Since the passing of conservative justice, Antonin Scalia in February, there are only eight justices, four of which are conservative and four liberals. They ruled 4-4, leaving a lower-court ruling that blocked the plan.

26 states led by Texas sued Obama after he bypassed Congress and used his executive action on this immigration plan in 2014.

“The court did not issue a ruling on the merits of the main legal question. Therefore, its action set no legal precedent to bind future presidents. The decision indicates that any major immigration policy change that would address the long-term situation of the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally would have to be enacted by Congress,” wrote Newsmax.com.

 Following the ruling, Obama voiced disappointment, while expressing sympathy for the illegal immigrants.

“Today’s decision is frustrating to those who seek to grow our economy and bring a rationality to our immigration system, and to allow people to come out of the shadows and lift this perpetual cloud on them,” said Obama. “It is heartbreaking for the millions of immigrants who’ve made their lives here, who’ve raised families here, who hoped for the opportunity to work, pay taxes, serve in our military, and more fully contribute to this country we all love in an open way.” 

This is also bad news for unions, who were hoping to grow some of their member numbers. 

Luckily, the system of checks and balances worked in tax-paying US citizen’s favor and Obama was unsuccessful in changing a law.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that the ruling proves that “even a president cannot unilaterally change the law.” He also called it “a major setback to President Obama’s attempts to expand executive power, and a victory for those who believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.”