Leading Anti-Immigration Congressman Promises To Sue Obama Over Directive Protecting Undocumented Youth

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Rep. Steve King (R-IA), one of the right’s leading anti-immigration voices, is planning to sue the Obama administration after it announced that it would stop deporting undocumented students who were eligible for the DREAM Act.

Obama’s policy, which was unveiled last month, will protect up to 1.4 million young immigrants from being deported as the DREAM Act stalls in Congress.

In response, King, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, is promising swift action. In a tele-townhall late last week, the Iowa Congressman was asked about stopping illegal immigration. King said that he would soon file suit against the president “to command the president to enforce the law.”

KING:I want to stop the bleeding at the border. I want to shut off the job magnet. I want to force the president to enforce the law and this litigation that I’m bringing forward that will be filed sometime soon will be asking for a writ of mandamus to command the president to enforce the law. That’s a constitutional provision we can implement. We know the president doesn’t want to enforce it. He’s said he will not.

Despite King’s belief, the president’s immigration directive is eminently lawful. In fact, when the Supreme Court invalidated most of Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 immigration law last month, the majority opinion provided strong support for the new immigration policy.

Still, even if King’s lawsuit flops, undocumented youth could again find themselves in danger of being deported if Mitt Romney prevails in November. The campaign co-chair, Ray Walser, announced last month that Romney would “rescind” the immigration directive if elected.

Source: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/31/610181/steve-king-obama-immigration/?mobile=nc