Press Releases

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-M.) and Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied the Justice Department’s request for an emergency stay in Texas, et al. v. United States, et al., the multi-state lawsuit against President Obama’s executive actions on immigration:

“Today’s decision by the 5^th circuit court of appeals is a temporary setback in trying to carry out a morally and economically sound immigration policy this country desperately needs.  This ruling allows the lower court’s legally flawed decision blocking immigration relief to stay in place during the pendency of the case, but we are confident that we will ultimately prevail on the merits.  But until then, millions of American families will be forced to remain in fear of deportation and separation and our country will be unable to reap the many benefits that would result from these sensible policies.

“We all know our immigration system is badly broken.  But while some people are determined to lock us into the ineffective status quo—or worse—President Obama has remained focused on finding solutions.  The important initiatives further delayed by today’s decision are within the administration’s legal authority as we, along with 179 other Democratic Members of the House of Representatives, argued to the court last month.

“The American families and immigrant communities that would benefit from these executive actions already have waited for far too long in the shadows.  We are confident that justice and logic will soon prevail.”

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In mid-February, Texas Federal Judge Andrew Hanen, appointed by former President George W. Bush, issued an injunction temporarily halting the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs.

In April 2015, Reps. Conyers and Lofgren, joined by over 179 House Democrats filed an amicus brief in support of the Obama Administration’s appeal in the Fifth Circuit case of Texas v. United States.