Thread: 84 Cities And Counties Back Administration's Supreme Court Appeal

Obama Immigration Executive Action Update: 84 Cities And Counties Back Administration's Supreme Court Appeal

By Abigail Abrams @abbyabrams a.abrams@ibtimes.com on December 04 2015 2:27 PM EST




A protester holds her sign up as immigrants and community leaders rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to mark the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration in Washington, Nov. 20, 2015. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque


A group of 84 cities and counties announced Friday the filing of a friend-of-the-court brief with the United States Supreme Court, urging the body to review a lawsuit that has stalled President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. This show of support comes after the high court granted a request from the federal government this week that effectively ensures it will decide whether to take up the case by mid-January.

The amicus brief will be filed by Cities United for Immigration Action, a coalition of mayors founded by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that has been pushing to help enact Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

The list of 84 cities includes some of the country’s largest cities and counties, including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

"We are urging the Supreme Court to review this case so implementation of the president's executive actions can finally move forward, because the wheels of justice have been stuck in neutral for thousands of families for far too long,” de Blasio said in a statement from the coalition.

“Cities are where immigrants live, and it is our residents, communities and economies that will reap the benefits from these policies. Cities are united, and we will fight for immigration reform in the courtroom, in Congress, and in our communities. As this legal challenge continues, our voices will be heard.”

Obama’s executive orders would grant work authorization to more than 4 million immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally but whose children are U.S. citizens or green card holders. However, the policy has been on hold since a federal judge issued an injunction in February in a lawsuit filed by Texas and 25 other states challenging the constitutionality of the plan.

The 26 states argued the immigration actions would cause them harm and overstepped executive authority.

Just last month, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision in a blow to Obama’s administration.

Since then, the federal government appealed the case to the Supreme Court, and that court ordered Texas -- the lead plaintiff in the suit -- to respond to the administration’s appeal by Dec. 29, Huffington Post reported.

Unauthorized Immigrant Population by State | InsideGov
The brief filed by Cities United for Immigration Action argues the delay in implementing the president’s actions has forced at least 9 million people “to continue to live in ongoing fear of deportation and separation, a situation that has profound emotional, educational and health impacts on children.”

A statement from the coalition said each day of the delay costs New York City about $100,000 in funds through increased tax revenue in New York State, and that Harris County, Texas, could collect more than $400 million in additional taxes resulting from wage growth among immigrants who would qualify for the executive action.

The brief from Cities United for Immigration Action comes on the heels of a brief filed by more than 200 Democrats supporting a Supreme Court review of the administration’s case. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and other lawmakers filed an amicus brief Thursday evening, Politico reported.

"We are confident that the Supreme Court will support President Obama’s decision to use the authority granted by Congress to set enforcement priorities and focus our limited resources on threats to national security and public safety, not hard-working families," Pelosi and Reid said in a joint statement released Friday.

http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-immigra...ations-2212122

84 cities and counties. Hmm, exactly how many cities and counties are there in the United States?

Originally Posted by MW

84 cities and counties. Hmm, exactly how many cities and counties are there in the United States?

19,522 cities and 3,031 counties.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/rele.../cb12-161.html

The link for the site states words below and a list of member's names - the sanctuary city/state mayors etc. It is a democratic machine controlled group
with no concern @ our safety.

"We stand for welcoming and inclusive cities that prosper, and the president’s action on immigration will help. Let’s strengthen our cities by keeping families together, further growing our economies, and fostering additional community trust in law enforcement and government. Pledge your support as we work with cities nationwide to implement the president’s executive action."

http://citiesforaction.us/

Immigration Reform News Today: 84 City, Council Officials Urge Supreme Court to Review DAPA Lawsuit

Dozens of city and county officials have joined the call for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the lawsuit blocking President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions.

The Cities United For Immigration Action (CUIA) organization, which represents state and local elected officials urging for the implementation of immigration reform, filed a friend-of-the-court brief to

the Supreme Court, calling for the review of the Texas vs. United States lawsuit that has blocked Obama's Nov. 20, 2014, deferred actions programs.

The Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program and an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was introduced last year, but officials in Texas and 25

other states have sought to stop the deferred action programs, citing that the president breached his executive privileges and negative economic effects to the states.

If DAPA and DACA were in effect, approximately 4.9 million eligible undocumented immigrants would receive temporary three-year permits to stay in the U.S.

"We are urging the Supreme Court to review this case so implementation of the President's executive actions can finally move forward, because the wheels of justice have been stuck in neutral for thousands of families for far too

long," said Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, home to millions of immigrants and where an estimated $100,000 additional funds -- through increased state tax revenue -- is reportedly lost.

"Cities are where immigrants live, and it is our residents, communities, and economies that will reap the benefits from these policies. Cities are united, and we will fight for immigration reform in the courtroom, in Congress, and in our

communities. As this legal challenge continues, our voices will be heard."

The CUIA's brief claims the current temporary injunction on DAPA and DACA's expansion have placed millions of mixed-status U.S. families to live in fear of deportation and separation, which may result in health and emotional effects.

"Mayors across the country are asking the Supreme Court to review the decision in United States v. Texas because we have a special understanding of how generations of immigrants have contributed to the foundation of our

cities and the strength of our nation," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement.

"Partisan politics should not stand in the way of doing what is right for families who simply want to stay together. These are true American values, and it is our obligation to do all we can to preserve and protect family bonds."

The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the Obama administration, had appealed to the Supreme Court to review the case after setbacks in lower courts -- from a trial judge in Brownsville, Texas, and the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

DAPA and DACA expansion opponents had requested a 30-day extension to the Supreme Court to further prepare the case. The Supreme Court, however, granted an 8-day extension.

If the Supreme Court had agreed with the 30-day extension, then a decision in the case could be delayed until 2017.

With the 8-day extension, lawyers for Texas and the 25 states have until Dec. 29, to prepare its case.

The extension, however, does not signify that the Supreme Court Justices will officially review the case; that will be determined after preliminary filings are submitted.

Immigration Reform News Today: 84 City, Council Officials Urge Supreme Court to Review DAPA Lawsuit : US News : Latin Post

United States v. Texas, 216 members of Congress filing an amicus brief