Mayor Nutter Urges Swift Implementation of White House Immigration Reform Plan
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As a federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments today over whether to allow President Obama's overhaul of immigration rules to go forward, immigration advocates in Philadelphia joined Mayor Nutter in support of the president's plan.
Today's hearing in Louisiana comes two months after a judge in Texas blocked the Obama administration's proposed changes.
At Philadelphia City Hall, advocates from the city's Latino community urged the Fifth Circuit court to grant an emergency stay to allow President Obama's executive order to go forward.
"Although we know that the president's action is constitutional and that this lawsuit is politically motivated, the delay in the implementation of DAPA is impacting our community and results in needless deportations and family separation," said Louie Ortiz-Fonseca, founder of Gran Varones.
DAPA is Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, one of two components of the president's immigration plan. The other is DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
For his part, Mayor Nutter said the deportation of family members abrogates the very foundation of our country.
"I can't imagine that a real elected official, someone who really believes in public service, would think that it was good policy to rip a family apart," the mayor said today. "Somehow, some way, at least to me, that appears to be completely in contradiction to this great country that we all love called the United States of America. We still have work to do."
The lawsuit to stop Obama's plan was filed by officials from 26 states. They urged the appeals court to maintain the stay of the Texas judge until the entire legal battle over it was resolved.
