The Obama administration suffered a legal blow on Monday night when the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction issued last May against the President's immigration executive actions which would have shielded about 4.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. from deportation.
In voting 2 to 1, the appeals court sided with a lower court's decision against Obama's immigration programme that has been challenged by 26 Republican governors who said he overstepped his authority.
The appeals court decision means more delays in the implementation of President Obama's immigration plans, according to WND.
"The president must follow the rule of law, just like everybody else," said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the Washington Post. "Throughout this process, the Obama administration has aggressively disregarded the constitutional limits on executive power."
Judge Andrew Napolitano told Fox & Friends that Obama would downplay the decision.
"This is a victory for the rule of law. You want the Congress to write the laws, not the president. ... This is as profound personal defeat for [Obama]," he said.
The White House said the Obama administration will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the ruling of the Court of Appeals.
"Once the green light is given [by the Supreme Court], it will make it that much more difficult for any administration, Republican or Democrat, to undo the programme," Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, told the Washington Post.
The Justice Department said it disagrees with the latest court decision.
"The Department of Justice remains committed to taking steps that will resolve the immigration litigation as quickly as possible. The Department disagrees with the Fifth Circuit's adverse ruling and intends to seek further review from the Supreme Court of the United States," said Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for the Justice Department.
Steve Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, praised the decision as "a major victory for the rule of law," Reuters reported.
