WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court's split decision Thursday in an immigration case impacted an estimated 200,000 Houstonians. That is thousands of families.
"My family and I are undocumented,” said Jessica Huerta, who is both a student and an employee. She said she and her family live fearing they will be deported.
"Instead of being scared on the streets, being scared of driving and the fear ... I might not see my parents again ... I don't know if they are going to come back to my house," Huerta said.
The Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative said an affirmative ruling on the case could have decided the fate of two programs that would have brought home to more than 3.5 million undocumented people living in the U.S.
Melissa Noriega, of Neighborhood Centers Inc., said, "This is a pause. This puts people’s lives on hold. This creates problems. The truth is everyone gets up and wants the same thing."
The Supreme Court’s 4-4 vote stopped President Barack Obama’s orders to expand two deferred deportation programs. The lower court’s decision stands, stopping the expansion.
"The Democratic solution when they don't get their way is, as you see in Congress right now, ... is to throw a tantrum and shut down the process. That's not the American way," Harris County Republican Party Chair Paul Simpson said.