Supreme Court Decision Could Affect More Than 200k NJ Immigrant Residents
In June, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a decision that effectively set aside an executive order from President Obama that would have expanded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and enacted the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program. The expansion of DACA and creation of DAPA would have allowed millions of undocumented people living in the United States to remain in the country for a certain period of time without fear of removal or deportation.
Since the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and the refusal of Republicans to cooperate with a replacement, SCOTUS only has eight Justices, which means the ability to deadlock exists. A deadlock effectively means that the decision of the lower court that is being reviewed will stand. Both the District Court and the Court of Appeals in Texas found that the executive order was unconstitutional, therefore, that decision stood after the Supreme Court deadlocked in this immigration decision.
After the decision, an estimated 200,000 residents of New Jersey who would have been eligible for deferred action now remain vulnerable to potential deportation. Democratic New Jersey Senator Cory Booker spoke out against the result, citing statistics regarding how much protecting these immigrants would influence the NJ economy. Specifically, Sen. Booker referenced that undocumented immigrants are responsible for the following:
- $10.7 in gross state product;
- $24.2 billion in total economic activity;
- Nearly 104,000 jobs throughout the state.
With immigration remaining a hot topic in the upcoming presidential election, the future of undocumented immigrants is still unclear. Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton supports relief with a path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants while Republican Nominee Donald Trump regularly changes his stance on the matter, sometimes wanting to deport every unlawful immigrant and other times supporting more limited immigration options.
Call 201-703-9400 today for more information.
The decision striking down DAPA and limiting DACA was a disappointing one for immigration advocates in New Jersey, New York, and throughout the United States. It is important for you to realize that there still may be other immigration options for you to remain lawfully in the U.S. with your children and families. Ronald P. Mondello, Esq. Attorney at Law searches for creative solutions for immigrants and their families to remain together without the fear of removal or deportation proceedings. Please call today if you would like to learn more about our immigration services.
