Press Release: Santa Clara County Immigrant Rights Groups Are Confident U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Will Reject Politically-Motivated Lawsuit by Anti-Immigrant Politicians

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Texas Circuit Court Judge Rules Against Immigrant Families. Undeterred by the political attacks, Santa Clara County immigrants continue to prepare for new immigration programs and will fight on for a path to citizenship.

San Jose, CA- Late last night, a district court judge in Brownsville, Texas, issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the implementation process of the new immigrant deferred action programs. The ruling possibly pushes back the start date for millions of immigrants workers to come forward, register, and apply for work permits, which was planned to begin as soon as February 18, 2015 for DREAMers. The Santa Clara County Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform remains confident that the President’s actions will be upheld, and committed to preparing residents in Santa Clara County for implementation. 

“Immigrants in Santa Clara County are moving forward regardless of today’s ruling, and will continue getting ready for the deferred action programs that will give millions of Californians the chance to live, work, and stay in America with their families” said Poncho Guevara, Sacred Heart Community Services, Executive Director. 

“We’ve always said that this lawsuit is just a political stunt by out of touch anti-immigrant Attorneys General and governors and is meant to scare away eligible immigrants from applying for DACA/DAPA,” said Father Jon Pedigo, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. “They seem to have forgotten that we fought hard for this victory, and we’re not going to let anyone take it away from us. We’re still fighting for a permanent solution that includes a path to citizenship for all 11 million.”

“This is just the first round in a long, drawn out legal process. Hundreds of legal scholars agree that the President's executive actions on immigration are constitutional and within his authority” said Priya Murthy, Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network, Policy and Organizing Program Director. “We are confident that the court system will eventually reject this meritless lawsuit that only wastes taxpayer dollars, disenfranchises immigrant workers and families, and robs much needed revenue from state economies.” 

There are nearly 3.2 million undocumented immigrants living in California, and approximately 1,214,000 immigrants would be eligible for one of the deferred action programs. Enabling these immigrants to register with the government, request a reprieve from removal, and apply for a temporary work permit would increase California tax revenues by $904 million and lead to a cascade of economic benefits across the state.

In Santa Clara County, at least 53,000 individuals may be eligible for relief under executive action including DACA and DAPA, according to the Migration Policy Institute. 

In a press conference this morning the Santa Clara County Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform has urged the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to take up this case immediately because millions of real people, including the tens of thousands in Santa Clara County want to come forward to live and work in the only country they call home. 

“We stand with our local elected officials and community organizations today to encourage DACA-extension and DAPA eligible applicants to get their paperwork ready for enrollment in California,” said Todd Schulte, FWD.us Acting President. “No state has more to gain from these policies than California and FWD.us proudly supports the DACA and DAPA programs as they will help so many California families to come out of the shadows, free loved ones from the fear of deportation, and continue contributing to the state's economy and communities. "

“The outcome of this case affects hundreds of thousands of real California families, and we applaud Attorney General Kamala Harris for signing on to the Attorney General amicus brief filed in support of the deferred action programs, as well as the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara for supporting implementation and fraud prevention efforts for our residents” added Murthy.

"Immigration fraud is real,” said Josue Fuentes, Deputy District Attorney, Community Prosecution Unit. “We have to work together to prevent and investigate these crimes and the District Attorney's Office is here to help."

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Santa Clara County Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

  • Asian Americans for Community Involvement
  • Asian Law Alliance
  • Center for Employment Training
  • Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area office (CAIR-SFBA)
  • Human Agenda
  • JFI San Jose (Justice for Immigrants, San Jose)
  • Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center
  • Latinos United for a New America (LUNA)
  • Mountain View Dreamers
  • Movimiento de Accion Inspirando Servicio (MAIZ)
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
  • Pangea Legal Services
  • People Acting in Community Together
  • Sacred Heart Community Service
  • SEIU 521
  • Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West
  • Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)
  • South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council
  • Student Advocates for Higher Education at San Jose State University
  • Working Partnerships USA