This week, federal Judge Andrew Hanen refused to lift the block he imposed in February on the immigration measures that President Barack Obama announced in November of last year.
The U.S. Department of Justice, arguing that the President's executive actions are lawful and constitutional, had filed an emergency motion to begin implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans or Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but Judge Hanen denied it.
In February, a lawsuit by 26 states caused Judge Hanen to freeze the implementation of the executive actions, which were intended to give immigration relief to millions of undocumented immigrants, just days before they were to take effect.
Now the future of DAPA and the expansion of DACA will depend on the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which is scheduled to begin hearing the case on April 17.
I had the opportunity to explain the status of the immigration Executive Action on Univision's weekly program "Conexión California".
I am optimistic that because there has not yet been successful litigation against DACA, the appeals court judges will lift the temporary block issued by Judge Hanen.
Below you can watch the interview that aired on Univision stations in California on April 5, 2015:
