President Obama’s plan to provide legal status and even work permits for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants has been blocked by a federal judge in Texas since February, but yesterday a consortium of 73 cities and counties in 27 states filed a legal brief asking an appeals court to lift the sanction.

The signature gathering was organized by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, both Democrats. Ironically, even Austin and Houston in the state that initiated the lawsuit that resulted in the sanction — Texas — signed on to unblock the president’s immigration initiative.

The amici curiae brief was filed with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, where the Obama administration earlier filed to unblock the president’s plan. The 5th Circuit has jurisdiction over U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen of Brownsville, Texas, who issued the injunction.


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