Supreme Court Denies Request for 30 Day Extension on Deferred Action Case
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether or not it will rule on President Obama’s deferred action immigration policy this term. The policy would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to live and work in the U.S. for three years without fear of deportation.
But the court did grant the Obama administration a small victory when it rejected a request for a 30 day extension from Texas and other states seeking to block Obama’s immigration plans. Had the court granted the request, it would have been very unlikely that the justices could hear the case during this presidential term.
Instead, the court accepted a request from the Justice Department for a shortened eight-day extension. This means that if the court does decide to hear the case, a decision is likely to come in late June.
The court is expected to decide whether or not to take the case in January.
Texas Lawyer Accused of Committing Barratry
San Antonio lawyer, Vanessa Alonso has been accused of committing barratry by allegedly hiring an employee to solicit clients in immigration detention centers. There has been a separate lawsuit filed against her supervising partner, Raul Garcia, claiming that he knowingly permitted the conduct.
Both Alonso and Garcia have denied any professional misconduct. But the petitions against them allege that the firm paid the solicitor a base salary and a referral fee for every $25,000 she generated in business. The petitions claim that Alonso allegedly told the solicitor to deposit the payments she received into her husband’s bank account. Furthermore, Alonso allegedly told the solicitor that if clients left the firm, she should refund the firm from her own account or in cash in order to hide the firm’s improper payment for referrals. Finally, when the solicitor’s clearance at the detention facility was revoked, the petitions allege that the firm’s partners, Raul and Carlos Garcia, allowed another employee to go to the detention center to solicit clients wrongfully.
Alonso and Garcia have allegedly violated seven rules in the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct including the prohibition of barratry, and the requirement of lawyers to ensure that the individuals under their supervision are acting in accordance with the law.
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