Veasey Statement on 5th Circuit Decision on President Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement regarding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decision to maintain an injunction on the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program:
"The Fifth Circuit's misguided decision has delivered another blow to the millions of immigrant families that continue to live in uncertainty due to our country's broken immigration system. Last night's decision comes on the heels of the one-year anniversary of President Obama's 2014 executive action announcement that promised a glimmer of hope for millions of families through the expansion of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the creation of the DAPA (Deferred Action for Parental Accountability) programs.
In July, while the undocumented community was still anxiously awaiting today's decision, I hosted a DACA / DAPA informational forum to prepare DFW Metroplex residents for deportation relief. My hope was that the information attendees received would prepare them to take the next steps that would allow them to fully integrate into the American social fabric. I still carry that hope; should the Supreme Court review this case I believe they will find what we all know: President Obama's actions were within the clear legal authority of his office and the well-established precedents that have been set by both Republican and Democratic presidents in the past century.
I urge my Republican colleagues to take today's 5th Circuit Court decision as a challenge to act on the delayed promise of comprehensive immigration reform. Congress must provide a bipartisan and permanent solution to our broken immigration system. It is time for undocumented families across America to be able to live without fear of separation, work legally, and make even bigger contributions to our nation's economy."