In the lead-up to a highly-anticipated ruling from France’s Highest Constitutional Court that must be delivered before Thursday, hundreds of thousands gathered across the country to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed immigration law reform package.

The reforms, supported by France’s far-right and Macron alike, seek to expand the power for authorities to deport non-citizens considered “undesirable” and would make it more difficult for family members of migrants to reunite by way of domestic relocation.

After the law passed France’s parliament by a wide margin in October of 2023 (349 – 186), a group of four parties from the National Assembly filed a “last resort” action with France’s Constitutional Council seeking to invalidate up to 20 provisions within the newly-passed law.

Stripping access to social benefits, marriage, emergency housing and other provisions within the law are an affront to the, “principles of equality, freedom and dignity,” that define France, said the four parties to the case when it was filed.

Decrying what the plaintiffs called “serious attacks on fundamental rights,” the court action seeks to force what is called “censorship,” or invalidation, of the proposed law – in whole or in part.

For his part, Macron has defended his administration from charges of appeasing the country’s far-right wing in the lead-up to an important 2027 election. In December of 2023, The Guardian reported that  Macron “denied accusations that the legislation pandered to the far-right National Rally (RN), which claimed it an ideological victory, and accused Marine Le Pen’s party of ‘crude maneuvering.'”

During Sunday’s action, Sophie Binet, Secretary General of Labor Union CGT and rally organizer Sophie Binet, estimated 150,000 protestors were in attendance nationwide. Binet stated:

Today, 150,000 people from all walks of life marched throughout France against the law of shame. There were 25,000 of us in Paris, 10,000 in Marseille, 6000 in Lyon, 5000 in Nantes, Lille and Grenoble and also 80 in Groix and 85 in Belle Île!

Without a favorable ruling from the court, only Macron would have the power to stop the promulgation of the law – something seen as unlikely. Binet, speaking to L’Humanité earlier in January, said there is hope among advocates that some, if not all, of the provisions of the law will be invalided on constitutional grounds.