Advocates for immigration reform in Southland have reacted defiantly to the ruling by a federal appeals court blocking the plans of the Obama administration to extend deportation protection to around four million undocumented immigrants, although others applauded the court’s decision.
The ruling by a New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the injunction issued by Texas judge Andrew Hanen back in February in response to a lawsuit filed by no less than 26 states to stop President Obama’s executive action on immigration reform. “We disagree with the court’s myopic ruling and lament the confusion, anger and disappointment it will stir amongst millions of families who have spent much of their lives subjugated by unjust immigration laws,” says Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles executive director Angelica Salas.
The legal wrangling has resulted in the suspension of a program that would see deportation protection and work permits extended to parents of US citizens, as well as expanding the existing deferred action program for those who came to the country illegally when they were children.
In the meantime, however, Los Angeles is continuing to prepare for the implementation of the program, with Hilda Solis from the Board of Supervisors saying that the county will keep preparing for the roll-out of the program to help more than 500,000 residents “when the time comes”.