Ireland’s first emigrant Senator has described a ruling by the US Supreme Court blocking plans to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation as “devastating”.
Senator Billy Lawless, who was appointed to the Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in May, said he was disappointed for undocumented Irish people living in the US.
US president Barack Obama’s executive orders, which would have allowed millions of undocumented immigrants who are the parents of citizens or of lawful permanent residents to remain legally in the US, were dealt a fatal blow on Thursday when the Supreme Court announced it was split 4-4 on the plan. This leaves in place a lower court ruling blocking plans which would have protected more than four million undocumented immigrants, including thousands of Irish people, from deportation.
"This is a truly devastating day for the thousands of Irish undocumented workers across the United States, who had pinned their hopes on President Obama's executive orders on immigration," Mr Lawless said.
The Galway-born, Chicago-based businessman, who is vice president of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, added that the ruling is a harsh reminder of the work that needs to be done to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented Irish residents in the US.
Ciaran Staunton, co-founder of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, called on the Irish Government to get actively involved in ending the plight of the undocumented Irish in America.
He said the Government needed to engage with the US Embassy in Dublin on this issue.
Celine Kennelly, board president of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres (CIIC), said it was time for the US to "address its broken immigration system".
Ms Kennelly said the CIIC are disheartened by the Supreme Court ruling and feel the legislation would have been an important step towards citizenship for all undocumented immigrants.
“Non-action by the Supreme Court of the US leaves millions of undocumented people in the US, many Irish among them, living with uncertainty and fear,” she said.
The ruling prevents illegal immigrants who have US-born citizen children, have been in the US at least five years and have not committed any felonies or misdemeanours from applying for work permits under Mr Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, or DAPA programme.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan said he is disappointed by Mr Obama's executive orders on immigration will not go ahead.
“Achieving relief for the undocumented Irish remains a key objective for both myself and the Government and we will continue to work with Irish immigration activists and with our friends in Capitol Hill to encourage immigration reform in the US,” he said.
The eight judge US Supreme Court was split four-four on the ruling regarding the legality of Mr Obama’s 2014 unilateral immigration actions.
The normally nine judge court was left with a vacant position after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and Republican opposition to Mr Obama's nominee to fill this position.
The ruling of the Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling which blocks the measures.
There are an estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish in the US.
