This Week in Immigration Reform — Week Ending June 10

Week Ending June 10

This week in immigration: NCLR responds to Donald Trump’s attack on Judge Gonzalo Curiel; National Immigration Law Center helps decipher different scenarios in administrative relief case; and Judge Hanen delays his own judicial order.

NCLR kept the community informed this week with staff quoted in USA Today, Time, Univision, NBC News, The Hill, the Orlando Sentinel, Time, and Univision.

NCLR CALLS FOR DONALD TRUMP TO APOLOGIZE TO JUDGE CURIEL: This week, NCLR President and CEO, Janet Murguía, called on Donald Trump to apologize to Judge Gonzalo Curiel following Trump’s attack on the judge’s heritage. Calling it a textbook definition of racism that brings back memories of the critics of Thurgood Marshall’s Supreme Court nomination because of his involvement in the civil rights movement, Janet stated, “Judicial ethics prevent Judge Curiel from responding to personal attacks against him, but evidence of his qualifications, integrity, courage, and patriotism is extensive. The bottom line: It is deeply offensive that anyone would cite someone’s ethnicity as the basis to question or disparage their qualifications. It is even more disturbing when that behavior comes from those who seek to represent our country.”

DECISION ON DAPA AND EXPANDED DACA EXPECTED SOON: A decision in the United States v. Texas case could be handed down as soon as Monday. The remaining days in June on which the Supreme Court may issue its opinion are June 13, 20, and 27 with additional ‘decision days’ likely to be added to this list. Make sure to follow NCLR on social media to get the latest information. To prepare for the ruling and its possible implications, the National Immigration Law Center created a graphic that highlights what different decisions would mean for affected individuals and how to stay involved regardless of the outcome.

Additionally, Judge Andrew Hanen announced this week that he would delay implementation of an order requiring federal officials to release information on the estimated 50,000 “Dreamers” affected by President Obama’s initial DACA initiative. The order, which also proscribes required ethics classes for Justice Department lawyers, will now be deferred until August 22nd. The Department of Justice sent a response last week criticizing the original order as both illegal and unnecessary. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) President Thomas Saenz applauded the decision, saying, “This order cannot survive an appeal because there is no legitimate basis for punishing innocent immigrant youth, who are not party to the case before Judge Hanen, in order to address alleged misconduct by attorneys for the United States. We are grateful that this egregious order will not go forward while the matter is appealed.”