Local attorney weighs in on SCOTUS immigration ruling

The case of United States v Texas is now in front of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and although the decision isn’t expected to come until June, 47 ABC spoke with a local immigration attorney about how he thinks the highest court in the country will rule.

Attorney Eddie Gonzalez tells 47 ABC the issue in front of SCOTUS is whether President Obama’s use of his executive powers to pass the Deferred Actions for Parents of Americans Act (DAPA) was constitutional.

According to Gonzalez, DAPA would allow for those parents to get a social security number, get a work permit for three years and allow them to apply for a driver’s license.

Gonzalez said he believes the four judges installed by Democratic presidents will vote in favor of the president and that the decision will hinge on the other four judges.

Gonzalez believes two of those, Justice Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts
have the potential to swing in the presidents favor because of their prior decisions.

“In that four Republican installed justices, there’s Justice Kennedy, who was the swing vote when it came to gay marriage last year, and he’s showed a lot of deference in the past when it comes to the federal role in immigration,” Gonzalez said.

He adds that Roberts could rule in favor of the president because although he is pretty conservative, he has shown the ability to swing to the other side such as with Obamacare.