Federal judge halts Obama’s immigration action

A federal judge halted President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration Monday, issuing a temporary injunction against the government.

More than half the states in the union, 26 in total, have banded together in the Texas-led lawsuit challenging Obama’s Nov. 20 amnesty order.

Former Attorney General Greg Abbott, now governor, filed the lawsuit Dec. 3 in the U.S. Court for the Southern District, Texas-Brownsville Division.

On his Facebook page, Abbott called the ruling “a victory for the Constitution.”

The states sought to enjoin the U.S. and Department of Homeland Security to prevent the implementation of “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents” – a program designed to enable millions of illegal immigrants to obtain a variety of both state and federal benefits.

“Monday night, a federal judge sided with a Texas-led coalition of 26 states and shut down President Obama’s lawless and reckless attempt to grant executive amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants,” wrote Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on his Facebook page. “I am proud that Texas is leading this effort so vital to preserving the U.S. Constitution and the other laws of this land.”

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen accompanied his Feb. 16 order with a 123-page memorandum opinion, in which he wrote: “If the circumstances underlying this case do not qualify preliminary relief to preserve the status quo, this Court finds it hard to imagine what case would.”

The judge found at least one of the plaintiffs satisfied all the necessary elements to obtain a temporary injunction.

Joining Texas in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Case No. 1:14-cv-00254