The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Oklahoma on Tuesday for imposing criminal penalties on illegal immigrants, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The DOJ has sued Oklahoma to overturn a new law that criminalizes residing in the state without legal immigration status, according to AP. The lawsuit, filed in Oklahoma City’s federal court, is part of the DOJ’s wider effort to contest comparable immigration laws in Texas and Iowa. The newly enacted Oklahoma law imposes up to two years in prison for residing in the state illegally.
BREAKING: DOJ sues Oklahoma over new law setting state penalties for those living in the US illegally https://t.co/utS483C17f
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 21, 2024
This measure reflects a growing trend among GOP-led states to enforce immigration laws on their own.
U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton said in a statement that the federal lawsuit aims to uphold constitutional principles and the immigration system set by Congress. (RELATED: Biden Admin Sues Red State Over Law Penalizing Prostitutes For Knowingly Spreading HIV)
“Oklahoma cannot disregard the U.S. Constitution and settled Supreme Court precedent,” Boynton said, according to the outlet. “We have brought this action to ensure that Oklahoma adheres to the Constitution and the framework adopted by Congress for regulation of immigration.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 21: A seal for the Department of Justice is seen on a podium ahead of a news conference with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Department of Justice Building on March 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. During the news conference, Garland and DOJ officials are expected to make an announcement about ongoing antitrust investigations. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt defended the law, arguing it was necessary due to what he described as the Biden administration’s insufficient border security measures.
“Not only that, but they stand in the way of states trying to protect their citizens,” Stitt added in a statement, AP reported.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has challenged the Justice Department’s preemption claims, asserting the state’s right to pass laws to manage public crises within its borders.
“Oklahoma is exercising its concurrent and complementary power as a sovereign state to address an ongoing public crisis within its borders through appropriate legislation,” Drummond said in a letter to DOJ, AP reported. “Put more bluntly, Oklahoma is cleaning up the Biden Administration’s mess through entirely legal means in its own backyard – and will resolutely continue to do so by supplementing federal prohibitions with robust state penalties.”
