Supreme Court TIES 4-4: Millions Left In Limbo

By Published On: June 23, 2016Categories: Blog, Deportation, Immigration

The Supreme Court has announced a 4-4 tie decision in the case of United States vs. Texas, on whether President Obama’s executive order to suspend deportations and grant undocumented immigrants work permits is within his scope of authority as commander in chief.

This means that the fifth circuit injunction against the program will stand and it will not go forward at this time.

The DAPA program, Deferred Action For Parents Of Americans, grants temporary legal status with a three-year, renewable work permit. People who have lived in the United States since 2010 and whose children are American citizens or lawful permanent residents are eligible for DAPA. In addition to DAPA, more than two dozen states have also challenged the expansion of DACA, the 2012 program for undocumented minors in the U.S., which would make it a three-year program as opposed to the original two-year program.

Millions of patient families have been affected by this monumentally important decision – one which has been deliberated for nearly 2 years. The expansion of DAPA and DACA would enable families to come out of hiding, in a sense, and send their children to school, purchase a home or vehicle, or otherwise contribute to American society in productive and meaningful ways.

The critical ruling could be appealed when we elect a new president in November. While certainly not an end game to immigration reform, the expansion of DAPA and DACA would provide much needed relief to many deserving people. We promise to update you immediately when we have any information!


If you or a loved one needs help with your Austin immigration case, contact attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch today!

About the Author: Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch

I am the managing partner of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law. Upon graduating from the University of Texas for college and law school, I received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship in 2008, completed at American Gateways. My project served the detained families seeking asylum. After my fellowship, I entered private immigration practice. My firm offers family-based immigration, such as greencards and naturalization, deportation defense, and humanitarian cases such as asylum, U Visa, and VAWA. Everyone at Lincoln-Goldfinch Law is bilingual, has a connection to our cause, and has demonstrated a history of activism for immigrants. To us, our work is not just a job. After the pandemic we began offering bankruptcy services in addition to immigration I realized how much lack of information there is in financial literacy resources in Spanish.

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