BATON ROUGE, LA —
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and West Virginia Attorney General
Patrick Morrisey announced a 10-state coalition in defense of President Trump’s
executive order that directs the federal government to ensure municipalities
comply with laws prohibiting sanctuary cities.
“This is not a political issue; it is a public safety
issue,” said General Landry. “Cities and their leaders who engage in sanctuary
city policies undermine the safety of our citizens.”
The states filed an amicus brief in support of the
federal government’s motion to dismiss three lawsuits, arguing that the
lawsuits are premature and undermine the President’s immigration enforcement
authority.
“Sanctuary policies obstructing cooperation with federal
agencies defy the rule of law,” added General Landry. “The President’s
executive order aims to protect Americans from these reckless and illegal
practices.”
“The President and Congress can enforce this executive
order while still respecting the role of states in our constitutional
structure,” concluded General Landry. “For the safety of our people, I hope the
court follows the Constitution and dismisses these lawsuits.”
The states joining Louisiana and West Virginia in this
friend-of-the-court brief are Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio,
Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
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A copy of the brief may be found at http://www.ago.wv.gov/Documents/2017.06.16%20Sanctuary%20Brief.PDF.