Conyers and Lofgren Statement on Department of Justice Petition Seeking Supreme Court Review of Key Executive Actions

Petition for SCOTUS Review Falls on One Year Anniversary of Executive Immigration Actions

WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, issued the following statement marking the one-year anniversary of the President’s Executive Actions to fix our broken immigration system and after the Department of Justice filed a petition to seek review before the Supreme Court to overturn a Fifth Circuit Court order blocking two of the executive actions:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“One year ago, President Obama took legal action to fix our broken immigration system.  Since then, eight of the ten immigration executive actions he announced have been, or are being, successfully implemented. Unfortunately, conservative judges temporarily blocked implementation of the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) – and in doing so, put on hold the dreams of millions of immigrant families nationwide.   

“Today the Department of Justice filed a petition for certiorari, seeking review of the lower court’s ruling before the Supreme Court. We are confident that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of these common sense reforms, which would provide relief from deportation for approximately 4 to 5 million parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and an expanded number of DREAMers. Along with our Democratic colleagues in Congress, we will be filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the President's actions.

“Like prior Presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, among others, who likewise exercised their constitutional authority to humanely enforce our immigration laws, President Obama’s actions are consistent with precedent and fall well within his legal authority. 

“Though his actions will ultimately be upheld in court, Congress must still act to pass comprehensive immigration reform and provide certainty to the hard-working, law-abiding immigrant community in America.”

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