US: Appeals court maintains hold on Obama immigration action

by Benson Agoha | Immigration

A federal appeals court refuses to lift a temporary hold on President Obama's executive action that could shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. 

President Barak Obama. (Credit: via Fox News).

The United States Immigration is set to continue or even accelerate action on the removal of illegal immigrants from the Country, in which as many as 5 million may be affected. It means that going by Tuesday's US Federal Appeal Courts decision not to hold action, states concerned about illegal immigration may begin to remove people.

The decision is expected to be challenged, and may even go up to the US Supreme Court. Analysts believe that this could take about a week because as much as 26 states are gearing to begin removing illegal immigrants.

The decision was made following a challenge by 26 States opposed to a delay in the removal of illegal immigrants - effectively refusing to implement President Obama's Executive Action that grants some form of reprieve to a select number of illegal immigrants, allowing them to remain in the country for some reason.

26 States said President Obama's action was unilateral and should have gone through the US congress.

"The Federal appeals court refused Tuesday to allow the implementation, for now, of President Obama's executive action that could shield from deportation as many as 5 million illegal immigrants," according to Fox News.

The U.S. Justice Department had asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen's earlier decision temporarily halting the administration's plan. Hanen issued the temporary hold in February, after 26 states filed a lawsuit alleging Obama's action was unconstitutional.

Two out of the three judges on a court panel, though, voted Tuesday to deny the government's request, as the underlying case is argued.

White House Spokesperson Brandi Hoffine said after the ruling, "today, two judges of the Fifth Circuit chose to misinterpret the facts and the law in denying the government's request for a stay."

The 26 States are reportedly refusing to implement because they fear it will hurt their economies eventually.

by Benson Agoha (with contribution from Fox News).