Federal Court upholds injunction against President Obama’s executive amnesty plan

On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court's injunction against President Obama’s executive amnesty plan.

“The separation of powers and checks and balances remain the law of the land, and this decision is a victory for those committed to preserving the rule of law in America.

“Telling illegal aliens that they are now lawfully present in this country, and awarding them valuable government benefits, is a drastic change in immigration policy. The President’s attempt to do this by himself, without a law passed by Congress and without any input from the states, is a remarkable violation of the U.S Constitution and laws. We will continue to fight the brazen lawlessness that has become a trademark of the Obama Administration,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said.

The President’s amnesty plan would allow more than 4 million illegal immigrants to be deemed lawfully present and to take advantage of the following government benefits: work permits, tax credits, Social Security, Medicare, driver’s licenses, unemployment insurance, and the right to international travel. The states would also be compelled to fund additional education, health care and law enforcement costs.

Texas leads a 26-state bipartisan coalition fighting the president’s attempt to unilaterally grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Joining Texas in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued the following statement after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled President Obama’s executive action granting legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants to be unlawful.

“President Obama abdicated his responsibility to preserve and protect the United States Constitution when he issued this executive action, and after months of obfuscation and stall tactics by his Administration, victory for the Constitution has been awarded and the Rule of Law restored. We live in a nation governed by a system of checks and balances, and the President’s attempt to bypass the will of the American people was successfully checked again today.

"I am pleased with the Court of Appeals for preserving the injunction against President Obama’s unlawful action and for recognizing the fundamental principles upon which our nation was founded," Abbott said.