Immigration Executive Action News: Boehner Suggests Lawsuit Against Obama's Immigration Executive Actions
Speaker of the House John Boehner reportedly announced plans to sue President Barack Obama on his Nov. 20 immigration executive actions.
Boehner's announcement was not publicly disclosed, but a Republican official said the lawsuit was mentioned during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans.
"We are finalizing a plan to authorize litigation on this issue -- one we believe gives us the best chance of success," Boehner said during his weekly conference meeting with fellow GOP leaders, according to a source.
For the lawsuit to happen, the House of Representatives have to pass a resolution to allow the litigation.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., office released a statement, through spokesman Drew Hammill and referred the immigration executive action lawsuit as "embarrassing."
"Republicans control both houses of Congress, but Speaker Boehner still doesn't have the wherewithal to legislate. House Republicans' latest lawsuit against the President is an embarrassing admission of failure," wrote Hammill in a statement.
Pelosi's spokesman added, "Republicans' radical anti-immigrant legislation is dead on arrival. Once again, House Republicans are crawling to the courts to relieve them of their responsibility to govern. Republicans should stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars suing the President, and start showing some seriousness for the security of the American people."
House Republicans have made efforts to block funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by specifically adding amendments blocking funds benefitting Obama's executive actions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced the Senate will debate and vote on the House-passed DHS funding bill, but it is expected to fail due to a Democratic filibuster.
"There is barely a month left until Republicans' partisan recklessness will shut down the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans' loathing for immigrants and the President is already clear," said Hammill. "It's time for Republicans to stop threatening the safety of American families and join with Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security immediately."
A potential Boehner-led lawsuit would not be the first litigation against Obama's executive actions. Led by the Texas attorney general, 26 states have joined a lawsuit to stop the executive actions, stating Obama's move was an "illegal attempt" to have approximately 4.9 million undocumented immigrations temporarily avoid deportation.
"The momentum against the President's lawlessness continues to build with Tennessee and Nevada joining the effort to protect our states from the economic and public safety implications of illegal amnesty. As President Obama himself has said numerous times, he lacks the authority to impose amnesty. His actions represent a blatant case of overreach and clear abuse of power," said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a statement.
The 26 states in the lawsuit against the immigration executive actions are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
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