What You Should Know About the Decision in Texas v. U.S.

A Texas federal district court judge has made a decision on the lawsuit brought by 26 states challenging President Obama’s executive action on immigration. The court temporarily blocked the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA+) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) initiatives. The DACA program announced on June 15, 2012, will still move forward. This is a bump in the road, and we are confident that millions of immigrants will be able to come forward and apply for work permits and protection from deportation. These are the top five things to keep in mind about this development:

We will move forward.

This decision was deeply disappointing, but we will not be deterred. We fought hard to ensure that millions of aspiring Americans could come forward and apply for the opportunity to contribute more fully to their communities. We will continue to fight — in our communities, in Washington, and in the courtroom — until the immigration programs President Obama announced last year become reality.

The best defense is a good offense.

The best way we can fight back is to continue urging people to get ready for expanded DACA and DAPA and to immediately apply when the time comes. People should continue to prepare by gathering documents and saving money for the application fees. Visit http://nilc.org/toptenwaystoprep.html to read our top 10 tips on how to prepare.

The federal government is appealing the decision.

We call on the federal government to quickly ask for a temporary stay of the federal district court’s decision while we wait for a full appeal of the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. A stay would allow expanded DACA and DAPA to go forward while the full appeal is pending. If the government files such a request, the Fifth Circuit could make a decision on a temporary stay in a matter of days or weeks. If the stay is not granted, it will take many months for the Fifth Circuit to make a decision on the full appeal.

Six words: We believe that we will win.

We are confident that the courts will ultimately reject this lawsuit. Legal leaders — on both sides of the ideological spectrum — agree that the president’s actions are fully legal. We are confident that the courts will ultimately agree.

Immigration action is win-win.

DAPA and DACA are good for our economies, for workers, and for society in general. When our nation’s workers have work authorization, they can earn higher wages and will have more money to spend in local economies. The immigrants who qualify for these programs are integral members of their families, communities, and our society, and allowing them to live free from fear of deportation will make our communities stronger and safer. Read more here about why the programs are beneficial.