As many of you probably know, the White House has been pushing for immigration reform for quite a long time, and it seemed that a recent move by President Obama would have a tremendous impact on the world of immigration law. Obama was looking to protect millions of undocumented immigrants in this country by issuing an executive order. However, this order did not go over so well in the state of Texas.
A judge in the Lone Star state nixed the executive order, saying that the president did not go through the proper channels to get the action done. More specifically, the judge said Obama’s order did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act because he did not seek public comment before executive this order.
What we are left with now is a jumbled and complicated legal mess. It is unclear if an emergency order will go through to allow the order to go in effect while the White House’s appeal of the Texas judge’s ruling is pending, or if the order is just in limbo until the legal proceedings are complete. It will be a very tense few weeks for those who were counting on Obama’s order to come through.
This always seems to be where immigration rules operate: in a state of limbo. It’s unfortunate, but immigration law is a complex area with so many moving parts that it’s completely understandable for those who rely on immigration orders and processes to feel overwhelmed or confused by it all. This is why obtaining an experienced immigration lawyer is critical.
Source: New York Times, “White House Struggles on Immigration Ruling,” Michael D. Shear and Adam Liptak, Feb. 18, 2015