WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States failed to reach a decision on the case of United States v. Texas. The deadlocked decision resulted because the Supreme Court is still shorthanded after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. It means the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remain blocked.
"I am extremely disappointed that because Senate Republicans have obstructed the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice, our nation's highest court is hobbled and unable to function properly. We need rational and humane immigration policies to provide certainty to New Mexico communities and families. Comprehensive immigration reform is the best path, but we at least need the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and other actions to protect the parents of American children from deportation. Immigrants are, and always have been, part of the fabric of our society, in New Mexico and across America. Today, the deadlocked court was only able to issue a one-sentence 4-4 decision on an issue of great significance to our nation, keeping millions of people in ongoing legal purgatory.
"Senate Republicans need to do their job so our nation's highest court can do its job: resolve important and complex legal disputes and provide certainty to all of our laws. The unprecedented obstruction in Washington is doing long-lasting harm to our critical government institutions. I call on the Senate Republicans to allow us to hold hearings and a vote on the eminently qualified Merrick Garland, and restore our Supreme Court to its full slate of nine justices. Like many others, I believe these humane immigration policies that focus limited enforcement resources on actual threats to our communities are lawful and constitutional, and the Supreme Court still must settle this question in the future - sooner rather than later."
