Nevada immigration advocates not deterred by judge’s order blocking Obama’s actions

By Ana Ley

Published Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 | 7:22 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 | 5 p.m.

A federal judge on Monday stalled President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration, dealing a victory to a coalition of 26 states — including Nevada — that have filed a lawsuit to permanently stop the president's controversial plan to grant deportation relief to millions.

Monday’s court order halts the implementation of Obama’s plan just as it was set to begin this week.

Republicans rejoiced after news of the decision broke — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who filed the suit last year while serving as that state’s attorney general, posted a tweet praising the courts for "(upholding) the rule of law." And Attorney General Adam Laxalt, whose go-it-alone decision to include Nevada in the suit last month drew fierce criticism from Las Vegas' immigrant community and divided Laxalt's own Republican Party, issued a statement saying he was "encouraged by the federal court's thorough analysis."

Obama supporters, meanwhile, said undocumented immigrants should remain undeterred and continue assembling documents to apply for deportation relief. At a press conference attended by U.S. Rep. Dina Titus Tuesday morning, immigration advocates slammed Laxalt for bringing Nevada into the suit — Astrid Silva, an activist who became the face of Obama's immigration deal after getting a presidential shout-out in November, called Laxalt's action "embarrassing."

"We were just disappointed and disgusted to hear a decision handed down by a hand-picked Texas judge to put this temporary injunction on moving forward with this program," Titus said. "It is a bump in the road. We are discouraged, but we are not going to stop working."

In the order filed late Monday, Judge Andrew S. Hanen of Federal District Court in Brownsville, Texas, banned the Obama administration from carrying out the plan the president announced in Las Vegas three months ago​ that would offer protection from deportation and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants.

The first of two programs — which would have expanded a 2012 action benefiting people who entered the country illegally as children — was scheduled to start receiving applications Wednesday. The second program, whose implementation was scheduled for May, would have granted deportation relief to parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, where Silva works as an organizer, said it was hopeful the ruling would be overturned. The White House issued a statement late Monday defending Obama's executive actions and said the Justice Department would appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

"Immigrants in Nevada are moving forward regardless of today's ruling," PLAN spokeswoman Laura Martin said. "(They) will continue getting ready for the deferred action programs that will give thousands of Nevadans the chance to live, work and stay in America with their families."

The nonprofit had organized a workshop for Tuesday evening to help immigrants prepare applications to submit Wednesday. Martin said the event is going on as planned because "we're still telling people to get ready without worrying about partisan attacks." The event begins at 5 p.m. at the East Las Vegas Community Center, 250 North Eastern Avenue.

Almost half of all undocumented immigrants​ in Clark County qualify for deportation relief through President Barack Obama’s deferral programs, according to a study released last month by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. That’s 42 percent of 99,000 undocumented immigrants.

But MPI also estimates that while 25,000 people in Nevada currently qualify for the existing deportation deferral program established in 2012, less than half that many have applied. Experts say immigrants are often confused about eligibility or afraid to come out of the shadows.

Political wrangling only makes people less willing to come forward.

“People are scared programs will be revoked,” said UNLV Professor Fatma Marouf, who oversees the school’s Immigration Clinic. “A lot of people didn’t apply even before the legal challenges.”