President Barack Obama's plans to reform the US immigration system were dealt a further blow last night as a federal appeals court blocked his executive actions.

The three judges on the US Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled two to one against an appeal from the White House against an original ruling in a case brought by 26 states.

Mr Obama announced executive actions almost a year ago that would have given protection against deportation to millions of illegal immigrants.

Twenty-six states brought a case before a federal court in Texas to stop the actions, claiming that the president was acting outside the powers of his office.

The timing of the appeals court ruling may allow enough time for the Supreme Court to be able to take up the case before the end of President Obama's second term in office.

The White House had no immediate comment on the ruling.

Last November, President Obama announced several new schemes in an attempt to reform immigration protocols, one of which would have granted a temporary immunity to the undocumented parents of US-born children, and offered them the opportunity to apply for work permits - a scheme the Obama administration estimated at the time could help up to four million people.

Texas originally brought the legal challenge claiming that giving work permits and protection against deportation to undocumented, or illegal, immigrants would result in a massive cost to the state, citing one example of the cost of issuing driving licenses to those who would now qualify.

The federal court in Texas agreed with the state's cost argument and with its claim that the president was acting against the will of the US Congress.