US president Barack Obama intends to ask the US supreme court to approve his sweeping plans to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation after a federal appeals court rejected his actions.
The department of justice said it planned to ask the court to reconsider Mr Obama’s executive actions after the three-judge fifth circuit court of appeals on Monday upheld a ban by a Texas district court judge blocking the deportation protections.
Opponents argued Mr Obama’s actions, which would have temporarily protected as many as five million “undocumented” immigrants, were illegal and amounted to presidential “overreach”.
Mr Obama introduced the executive orders last year, bypassing Congress objectors after Republicans repeatedly blocked proposed legislation.
The president faces the prospect of seeing his efforts at fixing the country’s immigration system stymied before he leaves office in 2017.
