WASHINGTON \u2014 President Obama will ask the Supreme Court to clear the way for his far-reaching overhaul of the nation\u2019s immigration system, administration lawyers said Tuesday, setting up a battle in the nation\u2019s highest court over whether nearly five million undocumented immigrants can legally live and work in the United States.<\/p>\n
A year after the president asserted the power of his office to provide work permits and protection from deportation for those immigrants, his plan remains under assault by conservatives who have tied it up in legal limbo. On Monday, a federal appeals court said the president had exceeded his authority.<\/p>\n
If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the president\u2019s case during the current term, a ruling could come by next summer, just days before the two political parties hold their nominating conventions for the 2016 presidential campaign. A June decision could ensure a fierce debate on an issue that is critical to partisans on both sides.<\/p>\n
A decision by the court would also have a long-lasting impact on the president\u2019s legacy, shaping how future generations assess Mr. Obama\u2019s ability to confront what he has called one of the generation\u2019s great civil rights issues. And it would mark the latest test of Mr. Obama\u2019s agenda, after Supreme Court rulings on women\u2019s rights, health care, the environment and the exercise of presidential power.<\/p>\n