Area lawmakers were lauding the Supreme Court’s 4-4 decision in United States v. Texas, which upholds the lower court’s ruling that the Obama administration’s program to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants is unconstitutional.
Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) said,“The president is not a king. He cannot ignore Congress and write laws on his own. This ruling upholds the constitutional separation of powers, and affirms that it is Congress that writes laws. I am grateful for the 26 states, including Georgia, that took action and sued the administration when the president tried to implement his unconstitutional amnesty plan. This is a big victory for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people.”
In March, Rep. Graves voted for and the House passed legislation authorizing the Speaker to file an amicus brief on behalf of the House of Representatives in support of the states.
Senator Bob Corker said, “I strongly oppose President Obama’s unilateral actions, which effectively changed immigration laws without going through Congress, and I am pleased that the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court ruling blocking these actions from moving forward. Today’s result is a victory for separation of powers and the democratic process.”
Senator Lamar Alexander said, "In April, I joined 42 other senators asking the Supreme Court to block President Obama’s overreach on immigration, so I’m glad to see that the lower court’s decision will stand. It’s up to Congress to make the laws and address our broken immigration system. Our Founders did not want a king and the American people do not want a president who acts like one.”
U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “Today’s Supreme Court ruling further halts President Obama’s executive amnesty and upholds the Constitutional balance of powers. Yet, Americans should not have to rely on the courts to ensure President Obama follows the laws he is sworn to uphold. I am proud that Georgia joined a majority of states to stand up against President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty. There are real national security risks associated with illegal immigration, which is why we must first secure our border and restore the rule of law in our country.”
Attorney General Herbert Slatery III said, "Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision is a welcome result. With the Court affirming the lower court, we finally have a decision placing limits on executive authority and confining its role to enforcing, and not making, our laws. The original complaint in this action said it best, 'this lawsuit is not about immigration. It is about the rule of law, presidential power, and the structural limits of the U.S. Constitution.' Everyone is frustrated over immigration, regardless of viewpoint. Congress needs to resolve this issue and has done virtually nothing. But with that said, the President does not have the authority to change the law, whether by directive, executive order, a letter, or the like. That role is reserved for Congress. Otherwise the people do not have a voice or an opportunity to influence policy. Today’s decision confirms that.”
Grant Starrett, Republican Candidate for Congress in Tennessee's 4th District, said, "I am glad that the Supreme Court deadlocked today, keeping Obama's amnesty at bay. It shows both the importance of replacing Justice Scalia with a real conservative and how broken our immigration system is. Unfortunately, Scott DesJarlais' "solution" would only make it worse.
"DesJarlais recently told Joe Carr at a candidate forum that "a solution [he] think[s] would work" would be to give illegal immigrants an ID card to avoid deportation. That's more amnesty than even Obama proposed.
"I want to militarize the border, and I'll continue to fight every day to defend the Constitution and its plain text's original intent. I am against amnesty whether it's proposed by Barack Obama or Scott DesJarlais."
Former Rep. Joe Carr said, “While Thursday’s decision by the Supreme Court can be seen as a win for the 10th Amendment and the “rule of law” it illustrates how crucial the upcoming presidential election is for our nation. When 4 out of 8 justices vote that the president has the ability to create law through executive order it becomes clear how close we are to losing our republic. This is the one issue more than any other where I have fought and won. Unlike my opponent, Congressman Black, who voted to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. I have written and passed some of the toughest illegal immigration laws in the country. Including but not limited to; E-Verify, SAVE, No Sanctuary Cities, Identity Theft and a resolution honoring Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to name just a few.”