Obama Immigration Plan Blocked as U.S. High Court Deadlocks
- 4-4 split effectively stops program until after election
- Plan sought to give millions deportation shield, work rights
An American flag flies at half mast following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 14, 2016.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Supreme Court divided evenly over President Barack Obama’s plan to shield as many as 4 million unauthorized immigrants from deportation, a deadlock that effectively kills the initiative for the rest of his presidency.
The 4-4 split leaves intact an appeals court ruling that said Obama overstepped his authority, along with a trial judge’s order preventing the program from taking effect. The high court action doesn’t mean those immigrants will be deported, but it blocks a program that would have let them seek work permits.