Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the amicus brief she and one-hundred eighty colleagues in the House of Representatives filed with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that will allow millions of Americans to avoid deportation and become authorized to work.

Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the Southern District of Texas delayed implementation of these critical programs in February. President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security are appealing that decision.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Johnson in their effort to allow millions of American families to remain in the United States and participate in our economy. The decision by the District Court was completely unprecedented. Presidents of the United States – from President Ronald Reagan to President George W. Bush – have acted under the same authority as our chief executive as defer action in immigration cases. I urge the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to restore the rule of law and reverse this decision, ending the delay that now exists in processing applications for deferred action and employment authorization. Millions of people have waited for years for a resolution to this crisis and a confirmation of their status in the United States. The wait must end.”

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, Ethics, and Homeland Security, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.