A federal
appeals court said that President Obama could not overhaul immigration rules by
providing up to five million people with work permits and protection from
deportation, according to The New York Times article available here.

A
three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,
in New Orleans, ruled 2 to 1 against the appeal from the Obama administration.

The ruling
is the latest set back to the president’s efforts to circumvent congressional
inaction on immigration, reshaping the way immigration laws are enforced.

The White
House said in a statement that it strongly disagreed with the court and that
the departments of Justice and Homeland Security will review the ruling to
determine the “next steps” in the case, according to USA
Today.

“The
Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that the federal government can set
priorities in enforcing our immigration laws,” the statement read.
“This lawsuit is preventing people who have been part of our communities
for years from working on the books, contributing to our economy by paying
taxes on that work, and being held accountable.”

The
administration could ask for a re-hearing by the full 5th Circuit but the
National Immigration Law Center urged an immediate Supreme Court appeal, according
to CBS
News.

“The
most directly impacted are the 5 million U.S. citizen children whose parents
would be eligible for temporary relief from deportation,” Marielena
Hincapie, executive director of the organization, said in a news release.

The 4.3
million undocumented immigrants deemed eligible for the program are at the
mercy of the next president, making the panel’s decision a major blow to Obama,
who has hoped to overhaul the nation’s immigration system before leaving office,
according to USA
Today.

“The
most directly impacted are the five million U.S. citizen children whose parents
would be eligible for temporary relief from deportation,” said Marielena
Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. “We
now call on the Department of Justice to seek Supreme Court review immediately,
where we are more likely to obtain justice for our communities.”