World

US Supreme Court blocks Obama immigration plan

The US president terms the ruling 'heartbreaking'

Agencies June 23, 2016

rosario reyes an undocumented mother from el salvador reacts to news on a supreme court decision blocking obama 039 s immigration plan which would have protected millions of immigrants from deportation in front of the u s supreme court on june 23 2016 in washington dc photo afp

Rosario Reyes, an undocumented mother from El Salvador, reacts to news on a Supreme Court decision blocking Obama's immigration plan, which would have protected millions of immigrants from deportation, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, on June 23, 2016 in Washington, DC. PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Barack Obama a harsh defeat, splitting 4-4 over his plan to spare millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation and give them work permits, leaving intact a lower-court ruling blocking the plan.

Fate of Obama's immigration plan in hands of US Supreme Court

The court, with four conservative justices and four liberals, appeared divided along ideological lines during oral arguments on April 18 in a case brought by 26 states led by Texas that sued to block Obama's 2014 executive action on immigration that bypassed Congress.

The 4-4 ruling was possible because there are only eight justices following February's death of conservative Antonin.

Ruling 'heartbreaking' for millions: Obama

President Barack Obama condemned the Supreme Court's ruling blocking his bid to change immigration policy as "heartbreaking" and urged Americans not to fear the millions of people who want to make their lives in the United States.

"The fact that the Supreme Court wasn't able to issue a decision today doesn't just set the system back further - it takes us further from the country that we aspire to be," Obama told reporters.

.@POTUS on today's #SCOTUS ruling on #immigration: https://t.co/zcBWEIT8Ai https://t.co/egpB1r3FEN
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) June 23, 2016

COMMENTS (6)

Sunil | 8 years ago | Reply New poll shows how many Americans want to bar all immigration from surprising countries. Americans support an overall ban on immigration from 11 countries: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Mexico, Egypt, Belgium, France, and Canada.

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply Cabs are not going to drive themselves. The US needs Pakistan !!

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Adnan | 8 years ago | Reply There are more than 100,000 illegal Pakistanis in the US who will now have to either return or go underground.

Vikram | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan used refugees to collect Zakat from all over the world. Most illegal immigrants in US get free healthcare for pregnant women. Most illegal immigrants find some kind of workto survive. Kids of illegal immigrants get free schooling. Obama has no right to make a new law. In this age of International terrorism, US should be careful about who they let become legal residents.

curious2 | 8 years ago | Reply USA has about 4.4 illegal Mexican immigrants who would have been covered by Obama's proposal - for comparison purposes Pakistan host about 1.6 million Afghans refugees. In the USA the Congress is suppose to enact law and the President is suppose to enforce it - the Republican's argued that Obama proposal was essentially enacting legislation which was unconstitutional.

citizen26 | 8 years ago | Reply This is what you call a nation

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