Civil and Human Rights Coalition Decries Supreme Court Tie Leaving Immigrants in Limbo, Calls on Senate to Take Immediate Action to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy

WASHINGTON – Today, Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s 4-4 tie in U.S. v. Texas, a nondecision that leaves millions of undocumented immigrants in limbo and demonstrates – once again – the urgent need for the Senate to do its job by holding a hearing and a vote on Chief Justice Merrick Garland to fill the vacant ninth seat on the Court:

“The inability of the short-handed Supreme Court to render a decision in U.S. v. Texas is a disappointing setback for millions of undocumented immigrants in our country, and a major blot on the rule of law.

The blame for this outcome falls squarely on Senate Republicans, who have spent months playing politics by refusing to consider Chief Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to fill the vacant ninth seat on the Supreme Court, who this week earned the American Bar Association’s unanimous top rating of “well qualified” to serve on the Court. The obstinate refusal of Senate Republicans to do their constitutional duty to fill the vacancy and bring the Court back to its full capacity has now resulted in a litany of tie decisions – including a second case today involving tribal courts – which are making a mockery of justice and the rule of law in our nation.

For undocumented immigrants who are our neighbors, friends, and family members, working hard to build a better life for themselves and our country, today’s nondecision is an especially bitter pill. Instead of receiving the clarity they need around the President’s commonsense DAPA and DACA-plus programs, they must continue to cope with the uncertainty and risk of needless deportations and family separations. And because immigration is not only a human rights issue but also an economic one, all Americans will pay the price for this uncertainty.

While we’re confident that these policies will ultimately be upheld on the merits, the current situation could have easily been avoided had Senate Republicans done their job to fill the Court vacancy.”

Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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