Federal Judge rules Obama Administration misled court

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today released the following statement regarding a ruling by a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas that finds the Obama Administration misled the court regarding early implementation of expanded work permits to illegal immigrants. The judge also denied the Administration’s request to immediately implement executive amnesty and granted limited discovery in the case:

"The Obama Administration’s blatant misrepresentations to the court about its implementation of expanded work permits for illegal immigrants under the President’s lawless amnesty plan reflects a pattern of disrespect for the rule of law in America," said Attorney General Ken Paxton. "As the judge has affirmed, once put into effect, President Obama’s executive amnesty program will be virtually impossible to reverse. Any premature implementation could have serious consequences, inflicting irreparable harm on our state, and this ruling is key in determining the extent to which the federal government did not present the full truth in this case."

The Texas Attorney General’s Office filed a motion for early discovery on March 5. The discovery hearing was held in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on March 19.

Texas leads a 26-state bipartisan coalition fighting the President’s attempt to unilaterally grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Joining Texas in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.