Immigration

Obama administration to seek emergency stay in appeal of Texas immigration case

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The Hill reports that the Obama administration to seek emergency order restarting immigration programs:

ImmigrantsThe Obama administration will seek an emergency court order to move forward with President Obama’s executive action on immigration.

Officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) plan to seek what is known as an emergency stay that would essentially undo a Texas-based federal judge’s injunction from earlier this week. If the stay is granted, the government could restart a pair of executive programs that will shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said DOJ will file for the stay by “Monday at the latest.”

The emergency stay had been sought by immigrant rights advocates, who want to get the programs up and running as soon as possible while the appeals process plays out.

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Making good on earlier vows, DOJ will also file a separate appeal seeking to restart the executive programs.

“We will seek that appeal because we believe when you evaluate the legal merits of the arguments, that there is a solid legal foundation for the president to take the steps he announced last year to help reform our immigration system,” Earnest said.

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Deportation Republicans get a nod from a Texas Judge – decision to be appealed

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The “big news” today is that a hand-picked federal judge in Texas (forum shopping), late in the evening on President’s Day issued a 123-page decision (Scribd) as everyone anticipated he would, halting President Obama’s recently announced immigration policy.

Ian Milhiser reports at Think Progress, Federal Judge Blocks Obama’s Immigration Action At The 11th Hour. Here’s Why It Probably Won’t Work:

ImmigrantsThe decision, which came less than two days before the federal government is scheduled to start accepting applications from immigrants seeking to benefit from the new policy, raises a cloud of uncertainty over the millions of immigrants expecting to seek relief under the policy. Yet this particular judge’s decision should surprise no one. Judge Andrew Hanen is a George W. Bush appointee whose past opinions left no doubt that he would leap at the opportunity to strike down a program benefiting undocumented immigrants.

Judge Hanen’s order will be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals where there is a high probability that it will be overturned, for reasons explained below.

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Regaining Arizona’s lost economic potential

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When the Great Recession crumpled the economy of Arizona, the erratic state legislature helped make the recession’s effect worse. The conservatives pushedSB 1070 bills such as the controversial immigrant policing SB 1070 and measures that would have allowed businesses to deny service to gay and lesbian customers. As the madcap legislation rolled along, the state’s image changed for the worse. Arizona developed a reputation as a place that was sliding backward socially, unwelcoming to immigrants and stridently anti-gay.

As a result, Arizona’s tourism and convention business took an extra hard beating. Bookings at the Phoenix Center dropped 30% between 2009 when SB 1070 passed and 2012. The financial loss to the state caused by the legislative missteps are estimated to be over $375 million. It chilled business development because the antagonistic atmosphere created doubt about Arizona as a location for business expansion. After the passage of SB 1070, the state’s relationship with Sonora, Mexico turned frosty as Mexican officials declined to participate in meetings.

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Deportation Republicans fall into their own trap on DHS funding

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Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) boldly predicted last month, Senate GOP: shutdown off the table:

Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (Texas) pledged that Republican leaders would not allow funding for the Department of Homeland Security to expire under any circumstances.

Cornyn said Republican leaders will ensure a funding bill is signed into law by Feb. 27, when existing funding expires.

“No more drama associated with shutting down, for example, the Department of Homeland Security. That’s off the table,” he told reporters during the joint Senate-House retreat.

“Under no circumstances will we see any shutdowns,” he said.

 This falls into the category of “famous last words” that turn out badly.

DonkeyHoteyWreckingBallThe nativist and racist Deportation Republicans in the TanMan’s House GOP passed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill last month that also includes provisions attempting to defund President Obama’s executive orders for prosecutorial discretion in deferring deportation actions for certain categories of qualified undocumented immigrants.

GOP spinmeister John Feere previewed the GOP talking points for the coming shutdown fight at The Hill. Dems to decide what’s more important, amnesty or funding DHS. This framing might play to the haters who live in the epistemic closure of the conservative media entertainment complex feedback loop, where the GOPropagandists endlessly squawk “amnesty!” like a deranged parrot, but right-minded Americans aren’t buying it.

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House GOP leaders forced to delay vote on Secure the Border First Act of 2015

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McSallyThe “Secure the Border First Act of 2015,” HR 399 in the House and S.208 in the Senate, cosponsored by Arizona Tea-Publicans Rep. Martha McSally in the House and Jeff Flake in the Senate, has run into trouble from conservative opponents who point out that the bill does nothing about President Obama’s executive orders for prosecutorial discretion in deferring deportations, and from the latest “storm of the century” to hit Washington, D.C.

The Hill reports, House delays border security bill vote:

The House won’t vote this week on a controversial GOP border security plan that conservatives complained would do little to stop President Obama’s order to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.

Aides to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who controls the floor schedule, said the blizzard pummeling the Northeast forced the cancellation of votes Monday night. And due to the shortened schedule this week, the vote on the border bill — originally slated for Wednesday — has been postponed until a later date.

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