The 4-4 tie decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Texas v. United States earlier this summer puts the hopes and dreams of millions of immigrants and their families on hold.
This deadlock leaves in place, at least for now, a lower court decision halting the implementation of expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), effectively preventing an estimated 160,000 unauthorized immigrants in North Carolina from gaining work authorization and protection from deportation. It will also prolong the worries and fears of an additional 200,000 individuals who live in families with at least one DAPA-eligible adult; 85 percent of these families include children who are U.S. citizens. The court’s vote does not affect the original DACA program, which to date has benefited nearly 26,000 individuals and their families in North Carolina.
http://www.journalnow.com/opinion/columnists/guest-column-court-leaves-i...