Obama Immigration Reform Update: Despite Appeals Court Ruling, Immigrant Advocates To Celebrate Policy Anniversary

An appeals court ruling isn’t stopping immigrant advocates from celebrating the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s initiative to keep immigrants from being deported. Across the United States, vigils and workshops are planned to celebrate Obama’s plan, even though a federal appeals court ruled against Obama earlier this week, the Washington Post reported.

“This is a hugely significant program,” Tara Raghuveer, policy and advocacy director for the Chicago-based immigrant advocacy coalition National Partnership for New Americans, said to the Washington Post. “It’s a 2-3 year window in which people don’t need to work in the shadows and live in the shadows.”

Most of the events scheduled to be held around Nov. 20 are workshops to help immigrants apply for citizenship and green cards. Other workshops are planned to help immigrants apply for a 2012 program that postponed deportations of undocumented immigrants who came into the United States as children. Events are planned in states such as Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Tennessee and in the Washington, D.C., area.

Obama announced his plan in November 2014 to help protect about 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. Texas, along with 25 other states, then filed a lawsuit against Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program, according to the New York Times.

A federal appeals court ruled Monday the president had exceeded his authority by going beyond the power that Congress has authorized for a president. Under the policy, undocumented parents of U.S. citizens who have lived in the country for five years and who haven’t committed crimes can apply for work permits.

Obama has vowed to take his fight to the nation's highest court. If the case were to go before the Supreme Court, it would be just before the 2016 presidential primary contests, and Democrats hope this would help increase their standing with Hispanics, according to the Hill. If the Supreme Court were to take up the immigration issue, a ruling would most likely come in June.