Obama’s Immigration Orders Head to Federal Court in New Orleans

A federal appeals court is slated to hear oral arguments Friday in a case to remove an order that halts President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

The arguments between federal government lawyers and attorneys from more than two dozen states that disagree with Obama’s immigration actions will take place in New Orleans in front of three judges from the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, according to The Hill.

That court is one of the most conservative in the nation, and the random selection for judges to serve on the panel resulted in two conservatives and one liberal being chosen.

At issue are Obama’s executive actions taken last fall that would grant amnesty to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. In February, a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling that temporarily blocked the administration’s measure.

The administration wants the immigration orders put into action, and now it’s looking for the Texas judge’s ruling to be lifted by the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The panel features conservative judges appointed by President Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush. The other judge is an Obama appointee.

The conservatives on the panel, Judges Jerry Smith and Jennifer Walker Elrod, have ruled against the Obama administration in the past in cases concerning the Affordable Care Act and immigration.

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Hundreds of pro-immigrant advocates are expected to rally in front of the court  in New Orleans today.

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The Fifth Circuit is due to hear a full appeal later this year to permanently undo Hanen’s decision in a case that could ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Los Angeles Times story further breaks down the case, identifying the lawyers leading each side’s case in Friday’s arguments.

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