Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt announced Tuesday that Oklahoma is suing the president over his law-changing executive actions on immigration.
Oklahoma becomes the 20th state taking legal action against the administration in the lawsuit.
Pruitt said he hopes the lawsuit to put “an immediate end to [Pres. Obama’s] unconstitutional action”:
“The president’s executive actions on immigration are unlawful and unconstitutional. The constitution doesn’t give the president the power or authority to rewrite our nation’s immigration laws but that is exactly what the president is trying to do through his executive actions – even though he’s said numerous times he doesn’t have any such authority.
“Attorneys general from across the nation recognize the president’s actions violate the constitution and are joining together in this lawsuit to seek an immediate end to his unconstitutional action.”
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) threw his full support behind the lawsuit, telling MRCTV that Obama's amnesty order will permanently mar his presidency:
"The president’s lawless action using executive authority to grant amnesty to, as he admitted this week, nearly every illegal immigrant in the United States who isn’t a terrorist, will forever leave a mark on his administration.The American worker is the hardest hit by these actions, as they compete with low-wage illegal immigrants for jobs. Furthermore, the American taxpayer must foot the bill for the extra resources needed in law enforcement, healthcare, and education. "I’m proud that Oklahoma, under the leadership of Attorney General Scott Pruitt, is joining other states across the nation in holding the President accountable and protecting the Constitution. In the 114th Congress, both the House and Senate will work to undo President Obama’s illegal and unconstitutional acts, and find ways to responsibly take on immigration reform."
The states will suffer “dramatic and irreparable injuries” if the injunction is not granted swiftly, the lawsuit warns. Obama’s actions have caused “a humanitarian crisis” due to the flood of illegal immigrants and the demands they place on state resources, it says.