Ryan Amicus Brief Further Politicizes United States v. Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2016

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Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149

Ryan Amicus Brief Further Politicizes United States v. Texas

WASHINGTON — Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) yesterday filed an amicus brief on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of 26 states, led by Texas, that are challenging the Obama administration’s deferred action immigration initiatives in the case U.S. v Texas, which is now before the Supreme Court. The brief was filed only after Ryan staged an unprecedented vote authorizing the House of Representatives to submit the brief, despite the fact that more than 180 of his colleagues had already voiced their support for the administration’s immigration initiatives.

Noting the extraordinary nature of filing a friend-of-the-court brief, Ryan decries the president’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion even while he recognizes the executive branch’s authority “to decide how best to use its limited resources.” In a near party-line vote, the GOP-led House approved an unprecedented resolution to allow Ryan to file the brief with the Supreme Court.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement in response to the filing:

“The Ryan amicus brief further politicizes a case brought forward by disgruntled politicians looking to impose their own misguided immigration policy preferences through the courts. Ryan disingenuously purports to speak for all members of the U.S. House of Representatives, many of whom have already expressed their unwavering support for the Obama administration’s immigration policies.

“The administration’s immigration initiatives provide a much-needed temporary fix to our outdated immigration system and will allow American families to stay united while enhancing economic opportunities for all of us. Rather than continue trying to subvert the president’s common-sense immigration initiatives, Ryan should be working to build consensus for a permanent fix to the nation’s broken immigration system.”

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