NILC Applauds Justice Dept. Effort to Block Extremist Federal Judge Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2016

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, [email protected], 213-375-3149
Adela de la Torre, [email protected], 213-400-7822

NILC Applauds Justice Dept. Effort to Block Extremist Federal Judge Decision

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Justice today sought a stay of an outlandish order issued by a federal district court in Texas last week, while it prepares an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals of the district court’s order. The order demands the personal data of tens of thousands of Dreamers who received three-year work authorizations through the Obama administration’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative.

The court filing comes after U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen issued a highly unusual decision last Thursday ordering the Justice Department to turn over the Dreamers’ information and requiring all department lawyers to submit to five years of ethics courses before presenting any cases in the 26 states involved in a lawsuit, United States v. Texas, now awaiting decision by the Supreme Court.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“We commend the Justice Department for acting swiftly to protect the privacy of tens of thousands of Dreamers who have no bearing in this case. Legal experts on all sides have spoken up against Judge Hanen’s latest order, which is clearly out of bounds and should not be allowed to take effect. We are glad to see the federal government taking a stand against this judge’s latest attempt to intimidate immigrant youth who only want to live without fear of being separated from their families and contribute more fully to their communities.

“This latest order is yet another sign that United States v. Texas is a politically motivated lawsuit, and real families are suffering the consequences. We hope the Supreme Court sees through these legal theatrics and moves swiftly to allow these important initiatives currently blocked in the lawsuit to take effect. In the meantime, we will continue to fight—in the courthouse, if necessary—to protect the privacy of those who have already come forward to apply for the opportunity to contribute more fully to their communities.”

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