Obama Admin. Will Appeal Federal Judge Ruling Blocking Immigration Executive Action

The Justice Department will challenge a federal judge’s ruling blocking President Barack Obama’s executive action to stop deportations of up to 5 million illegal immigrants, the White House said.

“The district court’s decision wrongly prevents these lawful, common-sense policies from taking effect and the Department of Justice has indicated that it will appeal that decision,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement early Tuesday.

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Late Monday, Texas U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a temporary injunction halting the order to grant 26 states time to pursue a lawsuit against Obama's executive action.

“The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that the federal government can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws — which is exactly what the president did when he announced commonsense policies to help fix our broken immigration system,” Earnest said. “Those policies are consistent with the laws passed by Congress and decisions of the Supreme Court, as well as five decades of precedent by presidents of both parties who have used their authority to set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws.”

“The Department of Justice, legal scholars, immigration experts, and the district court in Washington, D.C. have determined that the President’s actions are well within his legal authority,” Earnest continued. “Top law enforcement officials, along with state and local leaders across the country, have emphasized that these policies will also benefit the economy and help keep communities safe.”