Obama: 'Law is on our side' despite immigration ruling

Protesters gather outside the Brownsville, Texas, federal courthouse Jan. 15 to share stories of their immigration struggles. (Photo: Yvette Vela, AP)

Columbus, OH— President Obama said Tuesday he disagrees with a Texas judge whose ruling blocked his immigration actions, and his administration will appeal, according to USAToday.

"The law is on our side and history is on our side," Obama said in the Oval Office. He said his actions to defer deportations for potentially millions of migrants will improve a broken immigration system.

The administration is suspending its plans to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for legal status, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said. Until that ruling is overturned on appeal, "we recognize we must comply with it," he said.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen's decision late Monday blocked implementation of Obama's policy that would have granted legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants, allowing them to get driver's licenses, work permits and other government benefits.

Hanen's ruling came just as one of those executive actions was set to take effect Wednesday. That's when about 300,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the USA before age 16 — and who have lived here since 2010 — were eligible to apply for legal status. An additional 4 million who came to the USA as adults would become eligible in May.

The ruling comes as Congress debates how to extend funding authority for the Department of Homeland Security. House Republicans have passed a bill that would fund the department through September but block funding to enforce any of Obama's executive actions. Senate Democrats threatened a filibuster, and the White House threatened a veto.