Hatch Praises Fifth Circuit Decision in Texas v. United States
Washington, D.C.— Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a current member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement following the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to uphold Judge Hanen's injunction against President Obama’s immigration deferred action programs:
“President Obama’s refusal to enforce our duly enacted immigration laws goes far beyond mere prosecutorial discretion. It is an act of arrogance and lawlessness. Today’s decision by the Court of Appeals represents an important victory for those of us who have fought to hold this President accountable to the law and the Constitution. I applaud the Court’s decision and will continue to do everything in my power to fight this executive overreach.”
“Immigration is a difficult and divisive issue, and Americans and their elected representatives hold a wide variety of views on the matter. But one thing that should not be controversial is our loyalty to the Constitution over our particular political views. I urge the President to abandon his dangerous unilateralism and instead work with Congress to fix this and so many other pressing problems we face as a nation.”
Texas v. United States is the lawsuit brought by twenty-six states—including Utah—challenging the legality of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (“DAPA”) program. Senator Hatch submitted an amicus brief in support of the states’ challenge.
WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement after a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied President Obama’s request to begin implementing his executive amnesty program.
“The Fifth Circuit should be commended for its well-reasoned decision to prevent President Obama from implementing his lawless executive amnesty program,” Lee said. “Our immigration system is in desperate need of reform. But that reform must be agreed to and passed by Congress, not unilaterally imposed on the American people by the executive branch."
