A coalition of states suing to stop President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration is asking a federal judge not to lift a temporary hold on the directives. The 26-state coalition, led by Texas, said in court documents filed Tuesday with U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, Texas, that "there is no emergency need to institute" Obama's immigration action.
Hanen issued a preliminary injunction on Feb. 16 that halted Obama's action, which could spare from deportation as many as 5 million people who are in the U.S. illegally. The states sought the injunction, arguing that Obama's executive action was unconstitutional.
The U.S. government has asked Hanen to lift his injunction while it appeals to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.