The US has asked for an emergency stay on a Texas court order that had put on hold orders taken by President Barack Obama on immigration reform which could save millions of undocumented workers, including Indians, from being deported.
The US Justice Department filed a motion in this regard yesterday before the US District Court in Texas.
In its motion, the Justice Department asked Judge Andrew Hanen to stay the preliminary injunction issued by him last week.
In his ruling, the judge had found that the several executive orders issued by Obama had failed to meet legal requirements.
"The Department of Justice has asked the Federal District Court in Texas for an emergency stay of the preliminary injunction that currently prevents the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the deferred action policies the President announced back in December," the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
"The administration believes that a stay should be granted because the judge's ruling in this case only makes it harder for the Department of Homeland Security to protect the American people and bring much-needed accountability to our nation's immigration system," he said.
"That is why the documents that have been filed with the court today first seek a stay of his injunction so that we can move forward while the case is being appealed at the Fifth Circuit," he added.
"So in the view of the federal government, the question that we're asking is if you won't grant a stay for the full injunction, then you should just grant a stay so that we can move forward with these executive actions in other states," he said.
In its motion, the Justice Department contended that the that Judge Andrew Hanen's decision extended well beyond his court's jurisdiction.
President Obama on Wednesday had said both law and history on immigration reform were on his side and his administration will appeal on the ruling by the Texas court.
The remarks came after the federal judge temporarily blocked Obama's executive action on immigration, giving a coalition of 26 states time to pursue a lawsuit that aims to permanently stop the orders on immigration reform.
The executive actions are expected to benefit millions of undocumented workers, including illegal immigrants from India.
"Delaying the President's actions cause a domino effect that impacts areas well outside the Southern District of Texas, where the case originates," the Justice department said.
