President Barack Obama’s executive order to defer deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants hit a setback Tuesday when a federal appeals court denied a request for the plan to take effect.
In November, Obama announced a plan that would provide work permits and deportation relief to millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. It was blocked by a federal judge in Texas the day before it was set to take effect.
“Imagine you had thousands of people around the country…figuring out what they needed to apply to this program, and just the day before is when the program got blocked,” Alan Gomez, a reporter for USA Today, said.
After that ruling, the government appealed, asking a higher court to hold off on blocking the program, but with no success. The court will begin hearing arguments in mid-July.
Obama’s immigration plan drew controversy and criticism from many states; 26 states sued to stop it, arguing that the president had overstepped his constitutional authority. The case may eventually make its way to the Supreme Court.
Immigration is shaping up to be a major topic for the 2016 presidential election. Republican candidates oppose the president’s proposal for undocumented immigrants, but have not offered up detailed alternatives. The immigration issue will be key for candidates looking to gain Hispanic votes, Gomez said.
Warm up questions
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Why would someone want to emigrate from their home country to the U.S.?
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What is an executive order?
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What is President Obama’s policy on immigration?
Critical thinking questions
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Why did President Obama issue the executive order on immigration? How would it affect undocumented people and their families?
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Why hasn’t Obama’s executive order gone into effect yet? What needs to happen for it to be enforced?
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What will happen now that the program is delayed? What are the next steps in the legal battle?
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If you were president, what would you do about the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States?
