LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is praising a U.S. Supreme Court decision that blocked President Barack Obama’s plan to shield millions of people in the United States illegally from deportation.

Ricketts said in a statement Thursday that the plan undermined the rule of law and separation of powers by unilaterally changing immigration rules. He says he supports an immigration system that welcomes “freedom-loving people” who enter the country legally.

The Supreme Court deadlocked on the plan with a 4-4 vote, effectively killing it for the rest of Obama’s presidency.

Nebraska was one of 26 Republican-dominated states to challenge the program Obama announced in November 2014. Congressional Republicans also backed the states’ lawsuit.