Today were announced the names of the three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans that will decide whether to lift the block on President Obama's immigration Executive Action.
The judges are two Republicans and one Democrat: Jerry Smith, Jennifer Walker Elrod and Stephen Higginson.
Judge Smith was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Judge Elrod by President George W. Bush, and Judge Higginson by President Obama.
Judge Smith is known to be a conservative who has been a strong opponent of President Obama's health care reform law.
On Friday, April 17, the panel of judges will hear oral arguments from the Department of Justice requesting that the block on the immigration Executive Action be lifted to begin implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
It is not known how long it will take this panel of judges to reach a decision. But in the recent case of Mississippi and ICE agents, the panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit took two months before announcing its ruling.
No matter what the decision of this panel of judges is, either party can appeal the ruling, causing the case to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
