Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Sues President Obama Following Immigration Action Plan
Well-known Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio has sued the President Barack Obama over his executive order on immigration.
The sheriff argues the president's action is unconstitutional and detrimental to his department's work. However, the federal judge may dismiss the case.
Arpaio filed the case against the president in the Washington D.C. District Court, according to the Associated Press. The case argues that the president's November action on immigration is unconstitutional and would allow more undocumented immigrants into the country, who may commit crimes, and burden law enforcement agencies
He asked District Court Judge Beryl Howell to issue an injunction to halt the president's immigration order. However, she saw it as an issue for Congress to handle.
"If Congress doesn't like it, doesn't Congress have the power to step in?" she asked.
Helping Arpaio with the case is the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, according to ABC News; their attorney, Larry Klayman, is handling the case and called the executive order "blanket amnesty."
"The president does not have the right to take matters into his own hands and ram it down the throats of the American people because he thinks he's above the law," said to reporters after the hour-long hearing.
However, Howell questioned Arpaio's case, asking why it took them two years to sue the president and administration, since the program allowing undocumented immigrant children to stay in the country, DACA, went into effect in 2012.
If this court did not file an injunction, Klayman said he would take the case to the Supreme Court.
According to the Associated Press, Klayman presented press releases and letters from Arpaio claiming 35 percent of undocumented immigrants arrested in Maricopa County, where he has jurisdiction, in 2014 were found to be repeat offenders. Klayman claims this is proof the government's plan to only deport criminals is not working.
However, the president's order to emphasize the deportation of criminals and threats to national security, instead of families and workers, was announced in November. He also said the action would not affect immigrants who crossed illegally recently nor would it grant citizenship.
Howell said she would rule on the case "very shortly."
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