Federal Judge Dismisses Arizona Immigration Lawsuit

A federal judge recently dismissed an Arizona immigration lawsuit filed by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and conservative activist Larry Klayman. The suit claimed that President Barack Obama overstepped his constitutional authority in his recent changes to immigration policies. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama appointee, threw out the Arizona immigration lawsuit and disputed Sheriff Arpaio’s claims that the President’s policies would result in higher costs for his jurisdiction.

Arizona Immigration Lawsuit Challenged Obama Policies

The purpose of the Arizona immigration lawsuit was to challenge a specific policy the Obama Administration put into place in 2012. The new policy would defer the deportation of undocumented immigrants who came into the U.S. as children for up to three years. The policy would also apply to parents of U.S. citizens who were themselves undocumented immigrants. The judge in the Arizona immigration lawsuit decided that the suit did not specify a “particularized injury”to Maricopa County or to Sheriff Arpaio’s official duties.

Judge: Arizona Immigration Lawsuit About “Generalized Grievances”

In her 33-page opinion paper on the Arizona immigration lawsuit, Judge Howell stated that her court was not the proper venue for addressing Sheriff Arpaio’s concerns about illegal immigration. She stated that the allegations brought forth in the suit “amount(ed) to generalized grievances which are not proper for the Judiciary to address.” Despite her decision to throw out the Arizona immigration lawsuit, Judge Howell did mention that the suit “raises important questions regarding the impact of illegal immigration.”

Arizona Immigration Lawsuit Attorney “Confident We’ll Win”

Mr. Klayman, the attorney who filed the Arizona immigration lawsuit on Sheriff Arpaio’s behalf, called Judge Howell’s decision “weak.” He also told an interview that “we’re confident that we’ll win in the end.” After Judge Howell released her ruling in the Arizona immigration lawsuit, Mr. Klayman and Sheriff Arpaio immediately filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

White House Praises Arizona Immigration Lawsuit Ruling

An Obama Administration spokesman came out in support of Judge Howell’s Arizona immigration lawsuit ruling. White House spokesman Eric Schultz released a statement saying that the ruling confirms that “the President’s executive actions on immigration are lawful” and follows what “scholars throughout the country have been saying all along.” The statement also cited that both the Congress and the Supreme Court have agreed that the Executive Branch “can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws.”

Source: Politico

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