Cooper Allen

USA TODAY

Hillary Clinton blasted as "heartbreaking" a Supreme Court tie Thursday that left in place lower-court rulings blocking the implementation of President Obama's 2014 executive actions that would have protected from deportation more than 4 million undocumented immigrants.

The ruling, Clinton tweeted, "could tear apart 5 million families facing deportation. We must do better."

Immigration figured to be a key issue in the 2016 presidential campaign even before the high court's ruling, given Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico, as well as the presumptive GOP nominee's rhetoric on the issue that has, at times, sparked controversy.

Given the court's tie vote, the ruling is also likely to underscore the importance of the Supreme Court vacancy left following the February death of Justice Antonin Scalia and Senate Republicans' subsequent refusal to hold hearings or a vote on President Obama's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, to fill the seat.

Trump tweeted hours after the ruling that the court had "kept us safe from exec amnesty — for now" but faulted Clinton for pledging "to expand it, taking jobs from Hispanic & African-American workers."

In a statement, Trump added that the court's "split decision also makes clear what is at stake in November."

"The election, and the Supreme Court appointments that come with it will decide whether or not we have a border and, hence, a country," he said.