Summary: A judge ruled that Department of Justice attorneys went against his directions during a case regarding the executive action by Obama on immigration and need to take ethics classes.
An appeal has been filed by The Department of Justice after a Texas federal judge ordered their lawyers to attend ethics classes. Their motion contends that U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen “exceeded the scope of a court’s inherent power.” Hanen ordered the ethics classes after the government lawyers made what he called misrepresentations in a case regarding Obama’s immigration executive action. He wants them to take a three-hour class every year for five years.
The immigration executive action case stems from a challenge from Texas and 25 other states. The states opposed Obama’s order that expanded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and created the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans initiative. Both programs defer deportation for immigrants that qualify.
Read Boehner Plans to Attack Obama’s Immigration Executive Order with Lawsuit.
Hanen had the programs placed on hold until a ruling was made. He also wanted a list of illegal immigrants that were given a three-year extension during the time when the order was given and leading up to when the challenge was made.
The government attorneys promised no extensions would be given until a specific date that he had outlined but Hanen claims they broke their promise. Hanen said, “If plaintiffs’ counsel had known that the government was surreptitiously acting, the plaintiff states could have, and would have according to their representations, sought a temporary restraining order pursuant to federal rule of civil procedure much earlier in the process.”
See Obama Administration Will Provide 9 Million Dollars in Legal Services to Undocumented Children.
The DOJ says Hanen’s believe that the attorneys acted in bad faith are not true and his order to attend classes encroaches on core executive branch functions. The appeal also stipulates the order to turn over immigration records goes against their ability to keep personal information confidential. The appeal states that complying with Hanen’s order will cost anywhere between $959,587 and $1.6 million.
Do you think Judge Hanen overstepped his authority? Tell us in the comments.
To learn more about Obama’s executive action on immigration, read Debate Over Obama’s Immigration Policies Head to Supreme Court.
Photo: washingtonpost.com
