US Supreme Court agrees to hear Obama immigration reform case

Washington AG leading states’ support of reform effort

OLYMPIA — The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear a case that could allow President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive actions to reform our country’s immigration system finally to move forward. In Washington alone, about 105,000 people could move into the legal workforce if President Obama’s plan took effect, increasing the state’s tax revenues by an estimated $57 million over the next five years. 

Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief in December urging the Court to hear the case and uphold the President’s actions. 

The Washington State Attorney’s General Office authored the brief, which was joined by the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia. 

The case, Texas v. United States, stems from a legal challenge by Texas and other states to the president’s legal authority to implement immigration changes by executive action. 

“This is a great day for immigrant families, who will have their day before our nation's highest court,” Ferguson said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher for Washington residents who want nothing more than to emerge from the shadows and live and work legally to support their families."

On Feb. 16, 2015, a federal district court judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction in the case, halting implementation of the administration’s policies. The Justice Department appealed that injunction to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled 2 to 1 against the appeal on Nov. 9. Washington and other states had filed a separate brief with the appellate court in support of that appeal.

In the amicus brief to the Supreme Court, the states argue that the lower courts erred in concluding that the immigration directives would harm states. Rather than presenting a burden, the president’s executive actions — enabling working families to participate more fully in American society, earn a fair, legal wage and pay their fair share of taxes — benefit the states by raising revenue and reducing demand for social services. 

The Obama administration’s reforms would also enhance public safety. Effective local law enforcement depends on a trusting relationship between police and the communities they serve, which is undermined when communities fear police will ask about immigration status. The immigration guidance would also require certain undocumented immigrants to pass criminal and national security background checks.

Deputy Solicitor General Anne Egeler and Solicitor General Noah Purcell are handling this case on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.