A federal judge in South Texas didn't immediately rule on whether to grant a request by a coalition of 25 states to temporarily block President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration while a lawsuit to permanently stop the order goes through the courts.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen on Thursday heard arguments on the request during a hearing in Brownsville.
Hanen gave no indication on how he would rule, saying the case is "an area of legitimate debate" and "there aren't any bad guys in this."
Obama's executive action aims to spare from deportation as many as 5 million people who are in the U.S. illegally.
The states argue Obama's decision "tramples" key portions of the Constitution.
The first of Obama's orders is set to come into action in mid-February.
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