Attorney General Strange Announces Alabama Joins Brief Defending Federal Court Order Halting Executive Amnesty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
May 5, 2015
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Claire Haynes (334) 242-7351
Page 1 of 1
ATTORNEY GENERAL STRANGE ANNOUNCES ALABAMA JOINS BRIEF
DEFENDING FEDERAL COURT ORDER HALTING EXECUTIVE AMNESTY
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced that Alabama has joined a
brief filed today defending a Texas federal district court order halting implementation of
President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty.
“Over five months ago, the Obama administration issued an illegal executive order to
unilaterally suspend immigration laws affecting millions of undocumented immigrants in the
United States,” said Attorney General Strange. “The only reason this unlawful action has been
halted is because Texas and 25 other states, including Alabama, challenged the Obama
administration in court where a Texas federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction on
February 16, 2015, barring this illegal executive amnesty from being implemented.”
“To no one’s surprise, the Obama administration has appealed the preliminary injunction to the
U.S. Fifth Judicial Circuit in an attempt to override the will of a majority of the states, including
Alabama. Today, Alabama joined a brief filed by Texas defending the federal court hold on
executive amnesty.”
Alabama and the 25 other states support the federal court determination that the
administration’s executive amnesty order goes beyond a routine enforcement decision because
its impact has significant legal consequences, such as granting aliens “lawful presence” in the
United States and “creating eligibility for numerous benefits – including Social Security,
Medicare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.”
The case now proceeds to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where oral arguments are
expected to commence in early June.
Joining Texas in the lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s executive amnesty 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, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
-30-
501 Washington Avenue* Montgomery, AL 36104* (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov