Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Thursday said that the Supreme Court’s tied vote in the case regarding President Obama’s executive action on immigration showed that the court is “hobbled” without a ninth justice.
“Today’s split decision did not rule this program unconstitutional. It highlighted how a hobbled Supreme Court is unable to provide justice to the American people. It showcased the need for a fully functioning Supreme Court and for Republicans to move without delay on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland,” he said in a statement.
“Until that happens, this commonsense program will remain blocked and millions of families will continue to live in constant fear of losing a loved one to deportation. I call on the Department of Justice to explore all possible legal options, and I strongly support the call for a re-hearing when there is a full court,” he continued.
Reid railed against Republicans for refusing to consider Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.
“Not satisfied with gridlock in the Senate, Republicans are bringing gridlock to the judicial branch. In recent weeks the Supreme Court has deadlocked on many important cases and questions before it. Because of Republicans’ unprecedented obstruction and failure to do their constitutional duty, millions of American families are not getting the justice they deserve,” he said.
The Supreme Court’s tied vote affirmed a lower court’s ruling blocking an Obama administration program that would have protected certain undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The minority leader described the lawsuit brought by Texas and 25 other states against the Obama administration as a “direct Republican attack on Latino families.”
“This politically motivated lawsuit brought forth by Republicans does nothing to address our broken immigration system and only serves to sow fear and uncertainty in homes across the country. It also attacks American families: the vast majority of families who would have qualified for DAPA and DACA include American citizens that have been part of our communities for decades,” he said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also expressed disappointment in the Supreme Court ruling in a Thursday statement.
“The Supreme Court’s deadlock on the President’s Immigration Actions is a disappointing setback for hard-working, law-abiding immigrant families across America. Nevertheless, we are fully committed to ending the terrible fear of separation that hangs over immigrant families,” she said in a statement.
