Obama Asks Judge to Speed up Immigration Decision

The Obama administration asked a federal judge in Texas to decide by Monday whether he will put on hold his prior decision to block the White House's executive orders on immigration, or at least limit the impact to Texas.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, a city along the border with Mexico, issued a temporary court order last month halting President Barack Obama's orders that would have shielded millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.

The administration asked Hanen for a stay on his order last month and late on Wednesday requested a decision by Monday.

Hanen on Thursday declined to comment while the case is ongoing.

Hanen, who had previously criticized U.S. immigration enforcement as too lax, based his ruling on an administrative law question, faulting Obama for not giving public notice of his plans. He also cited ways that Texas would be harmed by the action but used no other states as examples.

Anne O'Connell, a professor at University of California Berkeley School of Law, said it is doubtful that Hanen will grant even the partial stay, but said the administration's move appears designed to force Hanen to defend his argument.

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