Read the 123-Page Opinion Against President’s Immigration Executive Action

Feb 17, 2015
8:36 AM

So everyone who follows immigration issues is talking this morning about the State of Texas et. al v United States temporary injunction a federal judge from the Southern District of Texas issued yesterday against President Obama’s executive action on immigration relief. Josh Blackman, a law professor at South Texas College of Law, posted judge Andrew Hanen’s injunction decision and his 123-page opinion explaining why he did it, causing Texas governor Greg Abbott to celebrate on Twitter.

This is the injunction decision:

Order of Temporary Injunction – Texas v. United States by joshblackman

This is the opinion:

Memorandum Opinion – Texas v. United States by joshblackman

And this is what The White House said about the temporary injunction:

The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that the federal government can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws—which is exactly what the President did when he announced commonsense policies to help fix our broken immigration system. Those policies are consistent with the laws passed by Congress and decisions of the Supreme Court, as well as five decades of precedent by presidents of both parties who have used their authority to set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws.

The Department of Justice, legal scholars, immigration experts, and the district court in Washington, D.C. have determined that the President’s actions are well within his legal authority. Top law enforcement officials, along with state and local leaders across the country, have emphasized that these policies will also benefit the economy and help keep communities safe. The district court’s decision wrongly prevents these lawful, commonsense policies from taking effect and the Department of Justice has indicated that it will appeal that decision.