Other LanguagesOLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced the filing of an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief in the United States Supreme Court, supporting President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive actions to reform our country’s immigration system.
The Washington State Attorney’s General Office authored the brief, which was joined by the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The case, Texas v. United States, stems from a legal challenge by Texas and other states to the president’s legal authority to implement immigration changes by executive action. In the brief, filed late yesterday, Washington and its coalition states support a petition filed by the U.S. Justice Department on Nov. 20, asking the high court to hear the case during its current term.
“Each day that these reforms are delayed harms people who want nothing more than to come out of the shadows and live and work legally to support their families,” said Ferguson. “This affects our friends, families, neighbors, and our state as a whole.”
On Feb. 16, a federal district court judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction in the case, halting implementation of the administration’s policies. The Justice Department appealed that injunction to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled 2 to 1 against the appeal on Nov. 9. Washington and other states had filed a separate brief with the appellate court in support of that appeal.
In the filing, the states argue that the lower courts erred in concluding that the immigration directives would harm states. Rather than presenting a burden, the president’s executive actions — enabling working families to participate more fully in American society, earn a fair, legal wage and pay their fair share of taxes — benefit the states by raising revenue and reducing demand for social services.
In Washington alone, about 105,000 people could move into the legal workforce if President Obama’s plan took effect, increasing the state’s tax revenues by an estimated $57 million over the next five years.
The coalition states also assert that the Obama administration’s reforms would enhance public safety. Effective local law enforcement depends on a trusting relationship between police and the communities they serve, which is undermined when communities fear police will ask about immigration status. The immigration guidance would also require certain undocumented immigrants to pass criminal and national security background checks.
Deputy Solicitor General Anne Egeler and Solicitor General Noah Purcell are handling this case on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov