Today the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court’s injunction against the Obama Administration’s executive action granting legal status to undocumented immigrants. Attorney General Sam Olens issued the following statement:

“I am pleased with the 5th Circuit’s decision to keep the President’s illegal executive action on hold. We are a nation built on laws, and the President simply does not have the power to bypass Congress and single-handedly change the law to achieve his policy goals. There is no question that immigration reform is needed, but it must be accomplished in accordance with the Constitution.

“Just as troubling as the President’s disregard of the Constitution are the Administration’s misrepresentations to the court throughout the course of the litigation. First, we learned that, contrary to what the federal government’s lawyers told the court, the Obama Administration had already begun granting expanded employment authorizations to people who came to this country illegally. Then came the revelation that the Obama Administration had approved three-year deferred action grants for undocumented immigrants after the injunction was issued. This conduct by our federal government is nothing short of appalling.”