The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked in a case challenging U.S. President Barack Obama’s plan to shield millions of immigrants from deportation and allow them to work on Thursday.
The case concerned Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would allow as many as five million undocumented immigrants who are the parents of lawful residents to apply for a program that spares them from deportation and provides them with work permits.
“Today’s decision keeps in place what we have maintained from the very start: one person, even a president, cannot unilaterally change the law,” Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said in a statement. “This is a major setback to President Obama’s attempts to expand executive power, and a victory for those who believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.”
“This is personal,” Service Employees International Union executive vice president Rocio Saenz said. “We will remain at the front lines, committed to defending the immigration initiatives and paving the path to lasting immigration reform.”
