The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has upheld a legal stay placed on President Obama’s executive immigration orders while a lawsuit brought by 26 states continues in federal court.

The 2-1 vote by a panel of the court leaves in place the February injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen in Texas, rejecting a call by the administration to allow its immigration plan to commence in full.

Obama’s executive orders issued in November 2014 would allow up to 5 million undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States and even receive work permits in many cases.

A second hearing by the 5th Circuit Court is scheduled this summer to consider a separate appeal by the Obama administration. Yesterday’s action rejected the administration’s call for a stay while the appeal is pending.


If you own or operate a small to medium-sized business, managing all your employees plus meeting federal labor laws and regulations can be daunting, especially with new rules being issued all the time. To help you understand your rights and responsibilities in every facet of running a business, please order a copy of Personnel Concepts’ All-On-One HR Compliance Program for Small Businesses.