A group of national immigration, labor and civil rights organizations went to court on Monday to defend President Obama's upcoming executive action on immigration, which has been challenged in court through two lawsuits.
The groups filed an amicus "friend of the court" brief outlining the economic and social advantages of extending deferred action to immigrants who do not have legal papers but have been in the country for many years. The groups - including the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Immigration Council, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Service Employees International Union - stated immigrants who would benefit from executive action range from the main breadwinners in many families to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists like Jose Antonio Vargas.
The groups state executive action will lead to increased tax revenues, job creation and wage increases.
A federal judge rejected Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio's case lawsuit against executive action, and a second case filed by Texas and 24 other states - State of Texas vs. United States - will be heard in Brownsville, Texas on January 9th.
IN-DEPTH:
Applying For Immigration Action Could Begin in Mid-February
