According to Reuters, 17 states, led by Texas, have jointly filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration's unilateral immigration policy.
Represented by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the plaintiffs argue that this executive order by Obama is illegal. They contend that President Obama has failed to fulfill his duty to faithfully execute the laws, and that immigration law should be enacted and amended by Congress as appropriate; the President does not have this authority.
The states participating in the lawsuit are primarily controlled by the Republican Party, including Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi, and Utah, among the 17 states that have joined this appeal.
The House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on this matter, marking the beginning of the Republican Party's public efforts to block Obama's unilateral "immigration policy." Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson attended the hearing and defended the legality of Obama's immigration policy.
However, the committee chairman, Republican Michael McCaul, stated that the President's executive order could be perceived as "amnesty" by those considering illegal entry into the United States. He warned that this news would quickly spread to Mexico and Central America, leading to waves of illegal immigrants flooding into the U.S. Furthermore, he asserted that President Obama lacks the legal authority to implement this policy.
