President Obama’s plan to defer the deportation of million of immigrants was shot down by the Supreme Court in a tie decision Thursday.

Obama had been campaigning for immigration executive actions to give immigrants a deportation reprieve for months, and said the decision “takes us further from the country that we aspire to be.”

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The ruling effectively halts the administration’s plan for immigration for the remaining tenure of Obama’s presidency and creates opportunity for the presidential candidates to weigh in on the conversation.

House Speaker Paul Ryan stood by the Supreme Court’s ruling, touting its decision to make Obama’s actions “null and void.”

“The Constitution is clear: The president is not permitted to write laws — only Congress is. This is another major victory in our fight to restore the separation of powers,” Ryan said in a statement.

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Obama said the ruling exemplifies the importance of filling the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacant chair to “break this tie.”

“The court’s inability to reach a decision in this case is a very clear reminder of why it’s so important for the Supreme Court to have a full bench,” Obama said.

Obama recommended Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy, but Republicans are not so keen on an Obama-appointed judge.

To learn about another pivotal Supreme Court ruling this week, click here.