The White House responded harshly Tuesday to a ruling by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the injunction against parts of President Barack Obama’s executive immigration actions.
"Today, two judges of the Fifth Circuit chose to misinterpret the facts and the law in denying the government's request for a stay,” White House spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine told TheBlaze.
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Obama's executive action shields about 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation. The Justice Department asked the Fifth Circuit Court s to reverse a federal district judge’s ruling that temporarily blocked the president’s plan regarding deportations. Texas and other states challenged Obama’s legal authority to take the actions.
Fifth Circuit Judges Jerry Smith and Jennifer Walker Elrod voted to deny the stay, saying federal government lawyers are unlikely to succeed on the merits of that appeal. Judge Stephen Higginson dissented arguing that "deferred action has existed for half a century, reflected in longstanding regulations."
“As the powerful dissent from Judge Higginson recognizes, President Obama's immigration executive actions are fully consistent with the law,” Hoffine said. “The president's actions were designed to bring greater accountability to our broken immigration system, grow the economy, and keep our communities safe. They are squarely within the bounds of his authority and they are the right thing to do for the country.”
The Department of Justice is evaluating the ruling and is considering its next steps.
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