U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen denied a Justice Department request late Tuesday night to lift his injunction on President Obama's plan to grant executive amnesty and work permits to five million illegal aliens. The judge issued his injunction on February 16, just days before the Department of Homeland Security was to start processing amnesty applications, while the case brought by 26 states was being decided.
PETITION: Tell Congress to stop Obama's amnesty for good
In his order Tuesday denying the government's request, Judge Hanen said the government hasn't "shown any credible reason for why this Directive necessitates immediate implementation."
Judge Hanen also indicated that he wanted to first hear from the Justice Department about allegations that the U.S. government had misled him about the implementation of part of the president's plan to renew the those eligible for DACA with a three-year extension instead of the two-year extension that was proposed.
Judge Hanen issued his initial injunction believing that neither of those orders had taken effect. A few weeks later, the Justice Department confirmed that more than 108,000 people had already received three-year reprieves from deportation and work permits, but DOJ attorneys insisted the moves were made under 2012 guidelines that weren't blocked by the injunction.
He wrote Tuesday that while the federal government had been "misleading" on the subject, he would not immediately apply sanctions against the government, saying to do so would not be "in the interests of justice or in the best interest of this country" because the issue was of national importance and the outcome will affect millions of people.
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