President Barack Obama's plan to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation was dealt another setback on Tuesday when a U.S. appeals court refused to lift a block put in place by 26 states that argued Obama overstepped his authority.
The U.S. Justice Department will seek an emergency stay to block a decision by a federal judge and allow eligible immigrants to apply for benefits granted under President Obama's executive action, the White House said on Friday.
Conservatives in the U.S. Congress, emboldened by a federal judge's action, say they will renew their assault on President Barack Obama's immigration orders next week, even if it heightens the risk of a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown on Feb. 27.
A coalition of 17 U.S. states sued the Obama administration on Wednesday saying it acted illegally by issuing an executive order to ease the threat of deportation for millions of immigrants who are in the country without the proper documents.
