An estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants now face an uncertain future in the United States with the likelihood of deportation looming large following an appeals court ruling denying the Obama administration's plea to lift an earlier injunction issued by a court in Texas against the President's immigration executive actions.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), a group providing assistance to immigrants, said it was "extremely disappointed" at the decision made by the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which voted 2-1 to deny the motion to stay the preliminary injunction on President Obama's immigration programs.
The May 26 appeals court ruling backed the petition filed by 26 states against the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) announced by President Obama last November. Those two executive actions were meant to provide temporary relief from deportation to about 5 million undocumented immigrants in the US.
CLINIC, founded by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, provides assistance on immigration issues and advocates legalization of undocumented immigrants and family reunification.
Jeanne Atkinson, CLINIC executive director, said parents, children and siblings of lawful residents who have been in the US for many years are suffering and facing a bleak future because of the non-implementation of President Obama's immigration reform initiatives.
DAPA would have required law enforcement agencies to delay by three years the deportation of undocumented immigrants who met certain conditions. Among the primary conditions for DAPA eligibility were parents who entered the US illegally but had children who were born in the US who were also citizens or lawful permanent residents. In addition, the parents had to have resided in the US for at least five years, passed a criminal background check, and agreed to pay taxes.
Last February, a Texas court issued an injunction that prevented the Obama administration from implementing the programs.
To mitigate the effects of the court action on undocumented immigrants, CLINIC said it continues to advise them that the immigration programs are just a partial fix and that there are other ways to "protect yourself from being taken advantage of," the Catholic News Agency reported.
"We're trying to make sure that the immigrant community understands what this means," said Atkinson.
According to Alfonso Aguilar of the Latino Partnership at the American Principles Project, immigration reform should be bipartisan between Democrats and Republicans.
He said President Obama took a "risk" in launching DACA and DAPA.
"I understand the frustration. I think he could have waited," he said.
