Governor Abbott Statement On Executive Amnesty Ruling
Governor Greg Abbott today released the following statement regarding the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas’ decision on the lawsuit filed by a Texas-led coalition of 26 states challenging President Obama’s executive action on immigration:
“President Obama abdicated his responsibility to uphold the United States Constitution when he attempted to circumvent the laws passed by Congress via executive fiat, and Judge Hanen’s decision rightly stops the President’s overreach in its tracks. We live in a nation governed by a system of checks and balances, and the President’s attempt to by-pass the will of the American people was successfully checked today. The District Court’s ruling is very clear -- it prevents the President from implementing the policies in 'any and all aspects.'”
Following President Obama’s announcement of his plan to take executive action and grant legal status to individuals illegally present in the United States, then-Attorney General Abbott filed a lawsuit challenging the President’s action on December 3, 2014. Texas was initially joined by 16 states in filing the lawsuit; that number has since grown to 26 states.