WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Attorney General Karl A. Racine welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to hear United States v. Texas, a case involving President Obama’s executive action creating a path to legal residency for some undocumented immigrants. Attorney General Racine urged the Court to uphold the President’s executive action on immigration reform.

“The District of Columbia believes that President Obama’s executive action is within his constitutional authority and is a sensible step on immigration reform that helps District residents and the economy,” said Attorney General Racine. “There are strong legal arguments that support the President’s solution to create a pathway to legal residency, and we are confident that the Court will overturn the decision by a divided three-judge panel that blocked these actions.”

Earlier this year, the Office of the Attorney General joined a coalition of states in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The brief argued a lower court erred in concluding that the immigration directives would harm states. Rather than presenting a burden, the Obama Administration’s actions — enabling working families to participate more fully in American society, earn a fair, legal wage and pay their fair share of taxes — benefit the states by raising revenue and reducing demand for social services.

The Supreme Court is likely to hear oral arguments in United States v. Texas in April. For more information on the District’s friend-of-the-court brief in the 5th Circuit case, see http://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-racine-urges-federal-court-uphold-president-obama%E2%80%99s-immigration-reform