FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           PRESS CONTACT:

January 7, 2015                                                                                              Brenda Rangel 956.544.8352

                                                                                                                                        

PRESS RELEASE: Brownsville Mayor Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of Congressman Vela Defending Executive Action on Immigration Policies

 

BROWNSVILLE, TX – Brownsville Mayor, Tony Martinez, has filed an amicus “friend of the court” brief in federal court on behalf of U.S. Representative Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) in the congressman’s official capacity, supporting recent actions taken by President Barack Obama regarding the country’s immigration policies.

 

In the brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Mayor Martinez, an attorney, argues that the government’s use of deferred action is constitutional because the Constitution and Congress have vested in the executive branch broad discretion over the enforcement of U.S. immigration law and that the executive branch has a well-recognized discretionary authority to prioritize enforcement resources, including through grants of deferred action. 

 

“More than 4 million people, who work, live and call the United States home – stand to benefit from President Obama’s executive action.  These actions allow these undocumented immigrants to obtain a work permit for three years, among other initiatives,” U.S. Rep. Vela said.  “During the last Congressional session, every single attempt to pass comprehensive immigration reform failed.  The President exercised his executive prerogative within the confines of the Constitution so that something could finally get done.  Moreover, these actions provide a process by which millions of people working in our hotels, restaurants and constructions sites can continue to legally contribute to our economy without the senseless conditions of border security provisions which some would impose on the legalization process.”

 

U.S. Rep. Vela is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform.  During the 113th Congress, U.S. Rep. Vela and U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Tucson) filed the first comprehensive immigration reform bill in the House – before any other federal lawmakers.

 

“Not only are we on sound legal basis but, just as important this is the right thing to do,” Mayor Martinez said of the amicus brief.

 

In December 2014, 23 states, several U.S. Senators and other Members of Congress, filed a lawsuit seeking to block implementation of the new deferred action initiatives presented in November 2014 by President Obama.  The deferred action initiatives allow more than 4 million undocumented immigrants to obtain a work permit for three years, among other initiatives.

 

The lawsuit seeks a “preliminary injunction” – a temporary block of the programs during the life of the lawsuit.

 

U.S. Rep. Vela joins others in filing amicus “friend of the court” briefs, which include immigration, civil rights and labor groups. Among them are: American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Define American, National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), National Immigration Law Center, New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, Service Employees International Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and United We Dream.

 

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen is presiding over the case, State of Texas v. United States, in Brownsville, Texas. Judge Hanen has scheduled a hearing on Jan. 9 regarding the case.

 

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