On March 31, 2017, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal issued a very important decision on an immigration case, that has the potential to help thousands of people who living within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit (California, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona). In Ramirez v. Brown (No. 14-35633), the Ninth Circuit held that individuals who hold […]
Category Archives: federal court
Supreme Court Issues a Disappointing Decision on President Obama’s DAPA and Expanded DACA Programs
On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in U.S. v. Texas. By a vote of 4-4, the Court was deadlocked, meaning the Fifth’s Circuit’s decision issuing a nationwide injunction on President Obama’s DAPA and expanded DACA programs remain in effect. This means 4 million people who expected to benefit […]
DAPA and Expanded DACA are Dead (for now) – Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects President Obama’s Immigration Plan
In a 135-page decision issued on November 9, 2015, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has (unsurprisingly) ruled against President Obama’s immigration plan, which he announced on November 20, 2014, hoping to benefit over 11 million undocumented people in the United States. Obama announced the DAPA and expanded DACA programs on November 20, 2014 through […]
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts President Obama’s Executive Action Plans on Immigration
Late Monday night, a federal judge in Texas ordered a temporary halt to President Obama’s Executive Action orders on immigration, the first of which, the expanded DACA program, was set to take effect on February 18, 2015. Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) was set to take effect on May 19, 2015. Judge Andrew Hanen’s […]
Challenges to DACA and DAPA Programs
On January 15, 2015, a federal district court in Texas will hear oral argument in Texas, et al. v. United States, the 25-state lawsuit challenging the immigration initiatives announced by President Obama last year on November 20, 2014. The lawsuit alleges that states will be burdened by the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood […]
Implementation of the Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act
Following last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, issued this statement on Monday, July 1, 2013: “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama […]
“New Law” Does Not Apply to Convictions That Became Final Before Padilla Decision Announced
On February 20, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Chaidez v. United States (11-820), in which it declined to retroactively apply its holding in Padilla v. Kentucky, which the Supreme Court decided on March 31, 2010. In Padilla, the Supreme Court announced that criminal defense lawyers are required to tell non-citizen clients […]
Arizona Immigration Law – Oral Arguments at the Supreme Court
On April 25, 2012, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Arizona v. US (11-182). A transcript of the oral arguments debating the Arizona immigration law is now available.
Arizona Immigration Law Debate Arrives at the Supreme Court
On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case of Arizona v. US (11-182). Federal courts have blocked four key parts of Arizona’s “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” known as SB 1070. At issue is whether states have any authority to step in […]
Supreme Court Update – Carachuri v. Rosendo (09-60)
This session, Supreme Court will be considering whether a person convicted under state law for simple drug possession (a federal misdemeanor) has been “convicted” of an “aggravated felony” on the theory that he could have been prosecuted for recidivist simple possession (a federal felony), even though there was no charge or finding of a prior […]