Press Releases

U.S. Representatives John Conyers, Jr.(D-Mich.), Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, delivered the following statement today after a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction against Department of Homeland Security immigration directives issued in November 2014.

“While we are disappointed by yesterday’s ruling, and believe the Court failed to follow strong legal precedent, it’s important to remember that this is just the first step in a long process, and is not a ruling on the merits of the case.

We believe that, upon swift appeal to the Fifth Circuit, the Court will find the Department of Homeland Security acted within well-established existing constitutional and statutory authority to prioritize enforcement resources, increase border security, and ensure accountability in our broken immigration system.”

The injunction temporarily halts implementation of the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program, which provides temporary deportation relief for certain parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and expansions to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides similar relief for DREAMers. 

A district court in Washington, D.C. dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio earlier this year, noting that deferred action programs are a well-established exercise of enforcement discretion and are consistent with, rather than contrary to, congressional policy. The court also concluded that the breadth of the deferred action programs was valid.

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