Supreme Court refuses to re-hear TX immigration case | McClatchy Washington Bureau

The Supreme Court Monday dealt another blow to the Obama Administration’s programs easing immigration deportations, refusing to rehear the case, U.S. v. Texas, that the court decided in June.

In a 4-4 decision in June, the court upheld a lower court ruling that blocked an executive order that deferred deportations of undocumented parents of children in the U.S. who are citizens or legal residents. The 2014 program never took effect. The decision also stopped an expansion of a related program that defers deportations of children who were brought to the U.S. illegally.

President Obama was stung by the June decision, going to the White House press room to respond, and said, ““Sooner or later, immigration reform will get done,” Obama said. “It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when.’ ”

Texas led the opposition to the programs and was joined by 25 states in the lawsuits. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Monday: “The state of Texas’ position has been validated by the U.S. Supreme Court today as they denied the Obama administration’s petition to rehear the immigration case.”

“This is the latest setback to the president’s attempt to expand executive power and another victory for those who believe in the Constitution’s separation of powers and the rule of law,” he said.

But Cesar Vargas, director of the Dream Action Coalition, which represents so-called “dreamers,” undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children, said in a statement:

"When the lives of millions of American families are on the line, it is disappointing the highest court of the land will not rehear this case in an expedited manner even when the court is fully staffed with nine justices. The Supreme Court is a separate branch of government that should move the nation forward as the Constitution intended not just wait and perpetuate the status quo of a dysfunctional Congress.”