Polis Statement on Appeals Court's Deferred Action Ruling

Statement

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's decision not to lift the preliminary injunction that has temporarily halted the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program:

"Yesterday's decision was disappointing, but completely unsurprising. Fortunately, and after an inappropriately long delay, the decision finally cleared the way for the Department of Justice to appeal this matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, and I'm pleased that the Administration has announced its intention to do so immediately.

"Nearly a year ago, after decades of negligent inaction by Congress, the President announced a series of meaningful changes that will help align our immigration system with our values as a nation and meet the needs of a 21st-century economy. Since then, however, various governors who have chosen to prioritize their political aspirations over fixing our broken immigration system have done everything they can to derail these changes.

"The deferred action policies in question are practical measures that are in line with actions taken by other presidents from both parties. Every president since Eisenhower -- including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush -- has taken executive action to shape immigration priorities over the last 50 years. Setting enforcement priorities is a basic function of the presidency that is done in every arena, not just in immigration enforcement. The President should be allowed to prioritize the removal of criminals who represent threats to our communities over the parents of American kids or young people who came to this country as infants.

"I am confident that the high court will ultimately hold that this is a dispute that must be resolved by Congress, not by the courts. If members of Congress disagree with the President's actions, then they will ultimately have to do their jobs and move legislation addressing the myriad problems with our current immigration system."

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