The U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in the case of United States v. Texas.
Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) asked the judges to uphold the constitutionality of the executive actions and authorize the 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, immigration relief measures proposed by the President in November 2014 that could benefit millions of undocumented immigrants.
They also heard arguments from the opposition, who claim that the President overstepped his authority and that the executive actions he proposed in November 2014 are not constitutional.
The President's proposed implementation of DAPA and expansion of DACA were blocked by a federal judge in Texas in February 2015, after several states filed a lawsuit to stop their implementation.
The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision by June.
Since there are only eight judges at this time, there could be a tie. If that happens, the decision of the lower court, which in this case is the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, will be affirmed.
