Pro-Obama Executive Amnesty Activists Rally at Fifth Circuit as Court Hears Arguments

5th Circuit Protest - Twitter - @Re4mImmigration
Photo: Twitter/@Re4mImmigration
Lana Shadwick

Proponents of Obama’s executive amnesty traveled to New Orleans and were out in full-force on courthouse steps this morning. Oral arguments were held at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on whether the Court will reverse the district court’s injunction on executive amnesty.

MSNBC reported a coordinated effort of activists from various states and called it “a public display of the community’s pent up frustrations over each day the executive measures, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), are delayed.” Pro-DACA and DAPA activists have been aggressive in protesting what they see as a right to these benefits.

The Texas Organizing Project posted the following video on Twitter of activists at the courthouse:

MSNBC reported that “Immigrant families impacted by President Obama’s stalled executive actions hit the road from North Carolina … [and] [t]hree chartered buses from across Texas – San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston – planned to ride through the night and arrive near the French Quarter just after dawn.”

Mary Moreno, identified as a Texas-based organizer, was reported to say, “When you’re undocumented, it affects every minute of your life … And having DAPA be so close to being realized and then having it be taken away, it’s making people more politicized and active.”

The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) calls itself a national coalition of grassroots organizations fighting for immigrant rights. The group posted on Twitter this video of the rally in front of the courthouse:

UFCW posed for photos in front of a banner that boldly proclaimed “SHUT DOWN ICE.” UFCW, or United Food and Commercial Workers, claim they are “1.3 million workers in the U.S. & Canada sticking together to improve the lives of workers, families, and communities.”

The oral argument comes after the ruling by the Fifth Circuit on May 26th that denied the Obama Administration’s request to begin implementing the President’s executive amnesty plan. As reported by Breitbart Texas, a panel of the Fifth Circuit refused to remove an order that blocked the executive amnesty program which would prevent deportations and grant work permits to millions of illegal immigrants.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen stopped implementation of the program in February.

DAPA is a binding policy that must go through the usual public notice and comment period but this did not occur. The President and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unilaterally announced they would implement the policy.

As reported by Breitbart Texas, Texas and the 25 plaintiff states have filed motions showing that federal lawyers and DHS officials have made misrepresentations to the federal district court about extending from two to three years, the period of work permits and quasi-legal status granted to individuals under the President’s 2012 DACA program. Judge Hanen responded by accusing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DHS of deceiving the Court and ordered full disclosure of documents.

The Obama Administration also admitted that 100,000 plus illegal immigrants have been issued expanded work permits, a direct contradiction to what they told the federal district court. The federal government told Judge Hanen in May that 2,000 more persons were prematurely given expanded work permits.  The Office of Attorney General reported yesterday that figure was up to 2,500.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement in advance of the oral arguments at the Fifth Circuit saying, “The Obama Administration unilaterally rewrote the law, creating an amnesty program that will reward people who are here illegally with free government benefits. Any sweeping change in immigration policy must come from our elected leaders in Congress – not from one individual via executive action. The district court rightly stopped this program in its tracks, and we will continue fighting President Obama’s disregard for the rule of law.”

Texas Solicitor General Scott A. Keller argued this morning on behalf of the 26 plaintiff states at the Fifth Circuit.

Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She is a former prosecutor and associate judge. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2

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