[author: Laura Anne Schierhoff]
On Monday, October 3rd the Supreme Court denied the Obama administration’s request to rehear arguments in United States v. Texas, a case involving President Obama’s 2014 executive actions on immigration. The Supreme Court denied the case without comment in a long list of orders the Justices issued for their 2016-17 session. In June, the court issued a 4-4 split decision that left the Fifth Circuit’s decision in place, blocking protections for millions of immigrants. In July, The U.S. Department of Justice petitioned the Court to rehear the case, but recognized a rehearing was unlikely, as the Senate was not willing to confirm the President’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Court, and the administration knew it was unlikely a current justice – who opposed the program in June – would flip their vote in a rehearing. The Fifth Circuit’s decision affects millions of U.S. citizens living with family members who are now at risk for deportation.
