[h=1]'It takes us further from the country we aspire to be': Obama reveals his heartbreak over Supreme Court decision to block his immigration executive action[/h]
By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE.COM and REGINA F. GRAHAM FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:37, 23 June 2016 | UPDATED: 01:24, 24 June 2016
President Barack Obama has revealed his heartbreak concerning the Supreme Court's decision to block his immigration executive action and said the ruling 'takes us further from the country that we aspire to be.'
The Supreme Court dealt a harsh blow to Obama's immigration policy when it kept in place a lower-court ruling that blocked his controversial executive actions to protect immigrants from deportation.
'We've got a very real choice that America faces right now,' Obama said after the court's 4-4 deadlock decision was announced on Thursday.
'We're going to have to decide whether we're a people who accept the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms, or whether we actually value families and keep them together for the sake of all of our communities.'
In his response, he immediately blasted the outcome and said the nation's controversial immigration policies would have to be settled by the November elections
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- Obama calls the court's action 'heartbreaking'
- Obama protected 4 million immigrants from threat of deportation through executive actions
- Chastened president acknowledges he has 'pushed to the limits of my executive authority'
- He blasts Republicans for failing to confirm his pick for the Supreme Court after the tie vote on the court
- 'We get these spasms of politics around immigration—and fear-mongering
- Obama acted in 2014 after Congress failed to act on his immigration proposals
- The split ruling came about because of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia on the high court
- It sets no precedent because of the even tie, letting a lower court ruling against Obama fail
- Hypes rhetoric and say elections to decide whether nation will 'accept the cruelty of ripping children from their parents arms'
By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE.COM and REGINA F. GRAHAM FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:37, 23 June 2016 | UPDATED: 01:24, 24 June 2016
President Barack Obama has revealed his heartbreak concerning the Supreme Court's decision to block his immigration executive action and said the ruling 'takes us further from the country that we aspire to be.'
The Supreme Court dealt a harsh blow to Obama's immigration policy when it kept in place a lower-court ruling that blocked his controversial executive actions to protect immigrants from deportation.
'We've got a very real choice that America faces right now,' Obama said after the court's 4-4 deadlock decision was announced on Thursday.
'We're going to have to decide whether we're a people who accept the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms, or whether we actually value families and keep them together for the sake of all of our communities.'
In his response, he immediately blasted the outcome and said the nation's controversial immigration policies would have to be settled by the November elections
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'I have pushed to the limits of my executive authority. We now have to have Congress act,' Obama told reporters in the White House.
In a preview of the emotionally heated rhetoric to come, Obama said voters would have to decide what kind of Congress and president to elect, and said the nation must decide whether to 'accept the cruelty of ripping children from their parents arms.'
The president criticized the 'ruling, or lack of a ruling' from the high court,' and went after Senate Republicans for failing to confirm judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court or give him a hearing.
[h=3]What the court's action means[/h]Q: Is this the final word?
A: The Supreme Court sent the case down to a lower court, which effectively lets the ruling against Obama stand. President Obama said he'll have to honor it and that a new President and Congress must act.
Q: What's the significance of the tie?
A: The 4-4 vote keeps in place the prior ruling, but doesn't establish new court precedent that would affect future case law as a court decision would.
Q: What about the 4 million immigrants who were going to benefit from the executive action?
A: The administration can't give the immigrants special work papers and status as planned. But Obama has said they won't be a priority for deportation, as long as they keep a clean record.
Q: What's the legal fight about?
A: The administration says it has the discretion to decide how to enforce the law and prioritize who to deport and who to ignore. The states who sued say only Congress can make new law. The court likely split on ideological lines.
Q: Why was there a tie?
A: The court dropped to eight justices with the death of Antonin Scalia. The Republican-controlled Senate hasn't held a hearing on President Obama's chosen replacement, judge Merrick Garland.
Q: What about the 'dreamers?'
A: The action doesn't affect an earlier 2012 executive action that lets children who were brought here illegally as minors avoid deportation.
'I think it is heartbreaking for the millions of immigrants who made their lives here, who have raised families here, who hope for the opportunity to work, pay taxes, serve in our military and more fully contribute to this country we all love in an open way,' Obama said.
As for the 4 million immigrants, mostly parents of children with legal status, affected by his most recent executive action, Obama signaled that his administration is in no hurry to deport them.
'They will remain low priorities for enforcement. As long as you have not committed a crime our limited immigration resources are not focused on you,' he said.
The court made its ruling in a single sentence sending the case back to a lower court, which causes the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rulings against the administration to stand.
Texas and 25 other case brought the case after Obama issued his sweeping executive orders, who would have provided protection from deportation and a form of work permit for 4 million parents of who came here since 2010 and are the parents of citizens or are lawful permanent residents.
The president announced the actions in 2014 as a necessary step and an ordinary extension of his prosecutorial discretion – but they were immediately derided by Republicans as a form of executive overreach.
'It stakes us further from the country that we aspire to be,' Obama said.
'We're gonna have to abide by that ruling until an election and a confirmation of a 9th justice of the supreme court so that they can break this tie,' he said.
The Senate had passed immigration legislation, but House Republican leaders refused to take it up. Obama said at the time the best way to make changes would be through reform.
'But until that happens,' he said in 2014, 'there are actions I have the legal authority to take as president.' He maintained that these are 'the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.'
The court's ruling doesn't affect a 2012 executive action known as DACA that dealt only with people who were brought here illegally as children. It deals with Obama's 2014 rulings which expanded DACA and brought in parents of children who were citizens or have legal status.
.
In a preview of the emotionally heated rhetoric to come, Obama said voters would have to decide what kind of Congress and president to elect, and said the nation must decide whether to 'accept the cruelty of ripping children from their parents arms.'
The president criticized the 'ruling, or lack of a ruling' from the high court,' and went after Senate Republicans for failing to confirm judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court or give him a hearing.
[h=3]What the court's action means[/h]Q: Is this the final word?
A: The Supreme Court sent the case down to a lower court, which effectively lets the ruling against Obama stand. President Obama said he'll have to honor it and that a new President and Congress must act.
Q: What's the significance of the tie?
A: The 4-4 vote keeps in place the prior ruling, but doesn't establish new court precedent that would affect future case law as a court decision would.
Q: What about the 4 million immigrants who were going to benefit from the executive action?
A: The administration can't give the immigrants special work papers and status as planned. But Obama has said they won't be a priority for deportation, as long as they keep a clean record.
Q: What's the legal fight about?
A: The administration says it has the discretion to decide how to enforce the law and prioritize who to deport and who to ignore. The states who sued say only Congress can make new law. The court likely split on ideological lines.
Q: Why was there a tie?
A: The court dropped to eight justices with the death of Antonin Scalia. The Republican-controlled Senate hasn't held a hearing on President Obama's chosen replacement, judge Merrick Garland.
Q: What about the 'dreamers?'
A: The action doesn't affect an earlier 2012 executive action that lets children who were brought here illegally as minors avoid deportation.
'I think it is heartbreaking for the millions of immigrants who made their lives here, who have raised families here, who hope for the opportunity to work, pay taxes, serve in our military and more fully contribute to this country we all love in an open way,' Obama said.
As for the 4 million immigrants, mostly parents of children with legal status, affected by his most recent executive action, Obama signaled that his administration is in no hurry to deport them.
'They will remain low priorities for enforcement. As long as you have not committed a crime our limited immigration resources are not focused on you,' he said.
The court made its ruling in a single sentence sending the case back to a lower court, which causes the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rulings against the administration to stand.
Texas and 25 other case brought the case after Obama issued his sweeping executive orders, who would have provided protection from deportation and a form of work permit for 4 million parents of who came here since 2010 and are the parents of citizens or are lawful permanent residents.
The president announced the actions in 2014 as a necessary step and an ordinary extension of his prosecutorial discretion – but they were immediately derided by Republicans as a form of executive overreach.
'It stakes us further from the country that we aspire to be,' Obama said.
'We're gonna have to abide by that ruling until an election and a confirmation of a 9th justice of the supreme court so that they can break this tie,' he said.
The Senate had passed immigration legislation, but House Republican leaders refused to take it up. Obama said at the time the best way to make changes would be through reform.
'But until that happens,' he said in 2014, 'there are actions I have the legal authority to take as president.' He maintained that these are 'the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.'
The court's ruling doesn't affect a 2012 executive action known as DACA that dealt only with people who were brought here illegally as children. It deals with Obama's 2014 rulings which expanded DACA and brought in parents of children who were citizens or have legal status.
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Gerson Quinteron of Washington yells during a demonstration outside the Supreme Court Thursday, when the tie-vote on the immigration case came down
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The tie vote was caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the Senate's failure to confirm a successor. Obama has appointed Merrick Garland to fill the seat
Liberals and conservatives on the court were divided on ideological lines during oral arguments in the case in April, which was an early indicator that the administration might fail poorly after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who undoubtedly would have voted against the administration of the case.
Even as the case got kicked down to a lower court, immigration remained front and center of the 2016 campaign.
Hillary Clinton's campaign issued a statement calling the ruling 'unacceptable' – and pointedly released it in both English and Spanish on the case, 'Texas versus Estados Unidos.'
'Today's deadlocked decision from the Supreme Court is unacceptable, and show us all just how high the stakes are in this election,' Clinton said.
'These are our friends and family members; neighbors and classmates; DREAMers and parents of Americans and lawful permanent residents. They enrich our communities and contribute to our economy every day. We should be doing everything possible under the law to provide them relief from the specter of deportation.'
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People wait to cross the border from Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas in 2001
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Obama's order affected children who were brought here illegally and their parents
She said Obama's actions were 'entirely within the President's legal authority.'
House speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin declared the ruling 'a win our fight to restore the separation of powers' between the branches of government.
'Congress, not the president writes our laws. and today the Supreme Court validated that very core, essential fundamental principle,' Ryan said.
Donald Trump is on a trip to Scotland to visit his reopening golf property Trump Turnberry, but his campaign put out a statement.
'Today's 4-4 Supreme Court ruling has blocked one of the most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a President,' Trump said in a statement.
'The executive amnesty from President Obama wiped away the immigration rules written by Congress, giving work permits and entitlement benefits to people illegally in the country.'
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Hillary Clinton issued a response to the ruling in both English and Spanish – a sign of how it will be a factor in the 2016 presidential election
Trump also pointed to the election. 'This split decision also makes clear what is at stake in November. The election, and the Supreme Court appointments that come with it will decide whether or not we have a border and, hence, a country,' he said.
Republican senator John McCain of Arizona, who has blocked immigration reform legislation in the past, issued a statement saying the decision 'affirms that the president's unilateral actions, which have marked his lame-duck term, will not stand.'
'This decision further emphasizes that the president cannot rewrite the laws he finds problematic, nor skirt the separation of powers whenever he finds it convenient,' McCain added.
'Immigration is an issue that must be debated and decided by the representatives of the people, not by executive fiat.
'I hope that after today's ruling, Congress can get back to work advancing bipartisan solutions to fix our broken immigration system once and for all.'
Clinton has promised to expand on Obama's immigration actions, while Trump wants to rescind them.
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Ni Lov, Columbia, United States, 7 hours ago
As a legal immigrant who earned the right to be in this country, I am satisfied with the US Supreme Court decision. I am very sorry for the "dreamers".....but dream please somewhere else not in my country, not on my tax money. Not a single legal immigrant that I have met had an easy process to legally come to this country, but millions did it. You are NOT special.
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As a legal immigrant who earned the right to be in this country, I am satisfied with the US Supreme Court decision. I am very sorry for the "dreamers".....but dream please somewhere else not in my country, not on my tax money. Not a single legal immigrant that I have met had an easy process to legally come to this country, but millions did it. You are NOT special.
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Child Tax Credit is not a tax payment, it is a reduction in tax liability. It was $500 from 2005 to 2009, then $1000 starting in 2010. To call lowing taxes a "Tax Payment" is a blatant lie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_tax_credit#United_States
algop.org is not always a impartial source of information
I could post hundreds of charts - what difference does it make?
Under Hussein, illegals receive more welfare benefits than American citizens. And this doesn't even include healthcare, education, housing etc.
http://beforeitsnews.com/global-unr...yments-than-american-citizens-do-2471348.html
Democrats (and the RINOs who support them) honestly make me sick.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more families will be eligible for the additional child tax credit because of a change to the way the credit is figured.
Taxpayers who cannot take full advantage of the child tax credit because the credit is more than the taxes they owe may receive a payment for some or all of the credit that is not used to offset their taxes. It is a refundable credit, which means taxpayers may receive refunds even when they do not owe any tax.
https://www.irs.gov/uac/arra-and-the-additional-child-tax-credit
That is definitely the smart choice to make.
Further 30 second google searches show the graph represents tax breaks to people without social security numbers. To try to claim that represents 100% "Tax Payments" to illegal immigrants instead of reducing tax liability to is completely dishonest. The only viable solution other than to abolish the Child Tax Credit or stop allowing people without social security numbers to file tax returns. Which would mean they get even more "Tax Payments."
I'm always for lower taxes, and I concur reducing taxes is not a "payment"
But let me remind you of left wing thinking. Everything belongs to the federal government (or society), they make everything possible, "you didn't build that" AND tax cuts are actually "tax expenditures". They view it as government giving you money
just saying
