A federal judge’s order on immigration appears to have steeled some Capitol Hill Republicans’ resolve to fight President Obama over his plans to defer deportations for millions in the U.S. illegally.
The Obama administration had been set to begin implementing part of the November executive actions Wednesday, offering work permits and other documents to millions of undocumented immigrants, many of whom are parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents.
But the fight on Capitol Hill continues, with congressional Republicans hoping to use annual funding for the Department of Homeland Security to force the White House and Senate Democrats to capitulate.
Speaker John Boehner used the judge’s order to repeat his view that Obama overstepped his authority.
“The president said 22 times he did not have the authority to take the very action on immigration he eventually did, so it is no surprise that at least one court has agreed,” he said, in a statement echoed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “We will continue to follow the case as it moves through the legal process. Hopefully, Senate Democrats who claim to oppose this executive overreach will now let the Senate begin debate on a bill to fund the Homeland Security department.”
See What Illegal Immigrants Carry in Their Bags
Carlos Gomez, 34, from Guatemala. He already had lived in Miami for 10 years until he was deported five months ago. He tried to go back to the U.S. but was deported again from Mexico. In his bag was a shirt, scissors, a pair of pants, razor blades, pills, shampoo, deodorant, a can of coke and a T-shirt.Emanuele SatolliCarlos Gomez, 34, from Guatemala.Emanuele SatolliAlfredo Núñez, 46, from El Salvador. He wants to go to the U.S. but he thinks it would be okay if he can reach the north of Mexico and find a job there. In his bag, he has a pair of shoes, a bible, toilet paper and a cell phone.Emanuele SatolliAlfredo Núñez, 46, from El Salvador.Emanuele SatolliDelmis Helgar, 32, from Honduras. She is in a hurry to reach Houston where her little daughter is living with relatives, after her ex-husband was recently deported. In her bag was a make-up set, hand mirror, lip gloss, deodorant, a shirt, a small bible, face gel, a wallet, a cell phone, pills, a battery charger, hair band and two pantyliners.Emanuele SatolliDelmis Helgar, 32, from Honduras.Emanuele SatolliLuis Alfredo Portales, 43, from Guatemala. He lived in California for 28 years. He was deported 18 months ago when he had a drunk-driving accident. He wants to go back to his wife and four sons who are living in the U.S.. He already has tried to reach his family but was deported from Mexico. In his bag, he has a T-shirt, ointment, a bottle of water, tortillas, batteries, an ID card, pills, a toothbrush, a banana, chips and a pair of pants.Emanuele SatolliLuis Alfredo Portales, 43, from Guatemala.Emanuele SatolliRoger Savòn Court, 40, from Cuba. He flew to Colombia and traveled illegally through South America up to Guatemala. He wants to reach the U.S. and work honestly in America. In his bag, he has a sweater, two caps, cigars, a wallet, toilet paper, a big shell talisman to guide him on the journey, a headdress, a fanny pack, a necklace, a document holder, a small Virgin Mary statue, a cell phone, hair gel and a detergent oil for the skin.Emanuele SatolliRoger Savòn Court, 40, from Cuba.Emanuele SatolliAriel Mejia, 22, from Guatemala. He left for the U.S. with a coyote but he was caught as he entered Mexico, and deported. He wants to reach New York where he has two brothers working there and waiting for him. In his bag, he has a handkerchief, two pairs of socks, bars of soap, a cell phone, pills, a pen, a toothbrush and a towel.Emanuele SatolliAriel Mejia, 22, from Guatemala.Emanuele SatolliEdwin Alexander Mateo, 22, from Guatemala. He traveled toward the U.S. but was caught in Mexico and deported. He's trying to reach America because he wants to get a job, buy music equipment and become a DJ. In his bag was a pair of pants, a T-shirt, a bible, a cell phone, a wallet, a phone card, perfume, a prayer book, toothpaste and a toothbrush.Emanuele SatolliEdwin Alexander Mateo, 22, from Guatemala.Emanuele SatolliAndres Sanchez, 42, from El Salvador. He lived and worked in Virginia. Two years ago he was caught during a normal police check when he was driving. He was deported. He's trying to go back to Virginia. He's traveling with no bag because he wants to look like a local.Emanuele SatolliAndres Sanchez, 42, from El Salvador.Emanuele SatolliCesar Augusto Coxaj, 39, from Guatemala. He already tried to reach Denver but was caught in New Mexico while crossing the desert. He knocked on the door of a farm to ask for some water because he was thirsty. After 20 minutes the border patrol caught him. He thinks that the farmers called the patrol. In his bag, he has a wallet, a sweater, a shirt and an envelope with some documents and phone numbers.Emanuele SatolliCesar Augusto Coxaj, 39, from Guatemala.Emanuele SatolliJosé Alfredo Bin, 27, from Guatemala. Deported from Mexico while he was trying to get to Miami, he wants to go to the U.S. to earn more money. In his bag, he has a pair of shorts, flip-flops, a pair of pants, two toothbrushes, deodorant, a wallet, underwear, a belt and a T-shirt of Real Madrid.Emanuele SatolliJosé Alfredo Bin, 27, from Guatemala.Emanuele Satolli
Boehner’s comments were echoed by other Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who said Democrats were exhibiting the “height of irresponsibility” in blocking the funding bill.
Height of irresponsibility for Dems to block DHS funding to protect Obama's amnesty—which a judge has ruled illegal!http://t.co/Q5U5UYKLDV
Republicans have struggled for weeks to get any Senate Democrats on board with their strategy of using the Feb. 27 funding deadline to pressure the President into caving on his own executive actions. They’ve even lost a handful of Senate Republicans and Boehner—as of this weekend—is “certainly” prepared to let the agency run out of money. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson believes that 30,000 government employees could face furloughs.
Meantime, the court fight will grind on. The White House plans to appeal the decision in the 5th Circuit, which could postpone the president’s actions by a month or two “at the very least,” according to Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration expert at Cornell University Law School who believes the president’s actions are lawful. He told TIME that it’s “unlikely” that “a lot” of people would be deported as the courts continue to hear the case.
“It’s always a chance,” he says. “If they’re stopped for a traffic violation and the local police turned them over to the federal immigration authorities they could be put into deportation proceedings. But even then they have to go before an immigration judge and a … hearing can take several months.”
