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 U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, a city along the
border with Mexico, issued a preliminary injunction last month
halting President Barack Obama's plans that would have shielded
millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.
On Monday, Hanen said in a one-page order that the court will not
rule on any pending motions at least until a court hearing set for
March 19, where government attorneys will have to explain a filing
that said some 100,000 people had been given three-year periods of
deferred action prior to the judge's injunction.
Hanen, who has previously criticized U.S. immigration enforcement as
too lax, based his Feb. 17 ruling on an administrative law question,
faulting Obama's administration for not giving public notice of his
plans. He also cited ways that Texas would be harmed by the action
but used no other states as examples.
The decision was an initial victory for 26 states that brought the
case alleging Obama had exceeded his powers with executive orders
that would let up to 4.7 million illegal immigrants stay without
threat of deportation. Obama's orders bypassed Congress, which has
not been able to agree on immigration reform.
On Feb. 23, the U.S. Justice Department requested an emergency stay
of Hanen's decision, and further asked that he at the very least
limit his decision to Texas.
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The Justice Department said in court filings that it would take its
request to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans if
Hanen did not act by Monday. The department could not be immediately
reached for comment.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Jacqueline
Wong)
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