Activists rallied outside of a federal building in downtown Los Angeles Monday in support of President Obama’s executive immigration action on the day the Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue.
City News Service reports that dozens of people took to the rally to support Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which is already protecting children from deportation. Obama wants to expand that program to protect more child immigrants and also wants to shield parents from deportation with Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). The programs are estimated to protect an estimated 4 million people from deportation.
Los Angeles joined 117 other cities and counties in March across the country in support of Obama’s immigration action. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office cites economic development and keeping immigrant families together as part of their reason for supporting the immigration action.
A Texas court blocked the executive action in May 2015. That injunction was in response to lawsuits filed by 26 states that disagree with Obama’s immigration policy. The states argue that Obama overstepped his authority when he tried to instate that new immigration policy.
CNN reports that the 8 person Supreme Court appears to be split in Monday’s arguments. If the justices rule evenly split 4-to-4, then the immigration programs would remain blocked and the case would be sent back to the Texas court where the injunction was first set.
