IRLI Counsel Testifies before the U.S. Senate about the Latest Court Challenge against the Obama Adm

March 19, 2015

Implications for Obama’s immigration actions

March 19, 2015

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Kansas Secretary of State and Counsel with the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), Kris Kobach testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight subcommittee on the implications of last month’s federal court order halting the Obama Administration’s latest amnesty actions called DAPA and extended-DACA. Mr. Kobach’s testimony focused on his own ongoing case against Executive amnesty, Crane v. Napolitano (Civil Action No. 3:12-cv-03247-O), along with the latest amnesty’s harmful impacts on the rule of law and the American people.

Last month, the Southern District Court of Texas decided in the case, Texas v. United States (Civil Action No. 14-254), that contrary to the arguments of the Obama Administration, Texas and 25 other state-plaintiffs indeed had a right to sue the federal government for harm caused by its refusal to enforce our congressionally-mandated immigration laws. The decision halted DAPA and extended-DACA pending a full trial finding them in violation of federal law. The injunction order has major implications for the ability of the Obama Administration to award illegal aliens work permits, social security numbers and other benefits to the detriment of America’s working class, especially the most vulnerable Americans, including minorities, students, and seniors.

Dale L. Wilcox, IRLI’s Executive Director, who attended today’s hearing commented, “The Obama Administration had relied on no federal judge finding that nonenforcement-related harms could be actionable in a court of law and Congress would acquiesce to its power grab.” Wilcox continued, “Thankfully, as evidence by today’s hearing and the court injunction in Texas, the legislative and judicial branches of our government are not sitting idly by while the Administration up-ends our constitutional republic.”

Video of the hearing and Mr. Kobach’s written testimony can be found here.