President Obama lost his bid to kick-start his deportation amnesty after the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on Thursday, keeping in place a lower court’s ruling that stopped the White House plans to grant work permits to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants.
The ruling was cheered by conservatives who said Mr. Obama tried to subvert the Constitution. But immigrant-rights advocates called it a miscarriage of justice, saying illegal immigrants will continue to struggle to live and work in the shadows of American life.
In the near term, the decision is a devastating blow to Mr. Obama’s hopes of a legacy-burnishing step on immigration. But it could have been worse — had the late Justice Antonin Scalia still be on the court, analysts said Mr. Obama would likely have lost in 5-4 decision that could have spanked him for overstepping his constitutional bounds.
Instead, the tie decision leaves in place the ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that rules Mr. Obama broke immigration law.
Immigrant-rights advocates had feared the ruling, and have vowed to take the issue to voters in November, saying Republicans — who generally opposed the amnesty — will suffer at the ballot box.
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