New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is spearheading a coalition of mayors and leaders across the country in petitioning the Supreme Court to green light President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.

De Blasio announced Tuesday that he, along with 100 mayors and county leaders, signed an amicus brief to be filed in United States v. Texas. In the brief, he urges the court to allow Obama to implement his executive orders, which would give some undocumented residents temporary legal status. According to the mayor, the president's program would have a "tangible impact" on at least 220,000 New Yorkers, who would benefit from the plan, the mayor told reporters during a press conference.

He also issued a statement in which he argued, "Immigrants are part of the economic and social fabric of our cities and nation. They work in and own businesses, shop in our stores and send their children to our schools. But the long-delayed implementation of the president's executive action is tearing those families and our communities apart."

The High Court is set to hear a challenge to Obama's immigration overhaul in April. The president first announced the executive action back in November 2014 after Congress blocked him from passing comprehensive legislation aimed at fixing the nation's broken immigration system.

Under Obama's orders, up to five million undocumented residents would be protected from deportation if they entered the country illegally as children or if they are parents of American-born children. Many would also be granted temporary legal status, work permits and some federal benefits. However, they would not be provided assurance of citizenship.

Critics, however, argue that the order is an abuse of executive power. Texas, along with 25 other Republican-led states, filed a lawsuit to stop the president's executive actions. After a lower court ruled in favor of the states and blocked Obama from implementing his plan last year, the White House filed an appeal against the injunction, asking the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court decision that has prohibited the president from moving forward.

In order to push for federal immigration reform, de Blasio started Cities for Action, a coalition of more than 100 mayors and local government officials. Other nonpartisan organizations like the United States Conference of Mayors have also signed on to the friend-of-the-court brief. Altogether, it has been signed by 118 cities and counties in 35 states.

The motion argues the injunction to block Obama's action was entered erroneously and has jeopardized millions of families. On the other hand, the president's action will keep families together, increase local tax revenue and help stimulate local economies.

"We are at the front line. We are where immigrant families need our help and they are part of the fabric of our communities, there are so many immigrants who contribute in so many ways to our cities and counties," de Blasio said.

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