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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
May 26, 2015 Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Earlier today, a panel of judges for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to grant an emergency stay of the preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of immigration relief programs created through executive action. NCLR (National Council of La Raza) is disappointed in this decision, which leaves millions of American families in limbo as they wait to apply for the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This is not the end of legal proceedings on this matter, however, as an appeal of the preliminary injunction is scheduled for the week of July 6.
While this is a setback, this is not the end of the long and arduous legal road. It is important to note that the Fifth Circuit Court has still not decided on the full appeal of the case to lift the injunction.
“Although we are unquestionably disappointed in today’s ruling, this is not the end of the road but a delay in what we believe will be an eventual victory,” said Clarissa Martínez-De-Castro, Deputy Vice President, Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation, NCLR. “Our community remains steadfast in our commitment to keeping hardworking families together. Not only will these executive actions bring relief to millions of American families, they are in the best interest of this nation’s economy and national security.”
“Those who continue to block commonsense relief to settle a score with the president should realize that their political gamesmanship is destroying lives and alienating an increasingly influential voting bloc, who will remember these very personal attacks on our families and our community come Election Day,” added Martínez-De-Castro. “It should not be lost on anyone that a key function of the president is to nominate federal judges, and for the Senate to ‘advise and consent’ to those nominations. We will continue to remind our community that by exercising their power at the ballot box, they can help determine who will be making judicial decisions that, with the stroke of a pen, can snatch potential lawful status away from millions.”
For information about how to apply for the existing DACA program, which remains unchanged, please visit www.nclr.org. For the most up-to-date information about changing immigration laws, policies and news, download Immigo, a free app designed for anyone working with immigrants. The app, which works with iPhone and Android devices, can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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