Court Rejects Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Immigration Lawsuit Against Obama
Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s recently filed immigration lawsuit against President Obama has been rejected by Judge Beryl Howell. Arpaio’s suit challenged the constitutionality of Obama’s immigration order.
The U.S. federal judge said the lawsuit filed by Sheriff Joe brought up interesting questions, but Judge Howell was dismissing the suit because the complaints contained in the lawsuit are not appropriate for her court to consider.
“The plaintiff’s case raises important questions regarding the impact of illegal immigration on this nation, but the questions amount to generalized grievances which are not proper for the judiciary to address.”
Howell, an Obama appointee, ruled Arpaio lacked legal standing both professionally and personally to bring the suit against the President. According to USA News & World Report, Judge Howell was not impressed with Arpaio’s oral arguments against Obama’s immigration order.
“At the hearing, Howell made her skepticism of the sheriff’s case clear and seemed amused by arguments from Arpaio’s lawyer, legal activist Larry Klayman.”
Howell’s decision to dismiss Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration lawsuit is a one victory for the Obama Administration in regards to the President’s order last month, which offers five million illegal immigrants the opportunity to stay in the U.S. temporarily and obtain work permits, without the threat of deportation. AFP reports Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Shultz says the judge’s decision to dismiss Arpaio’s lawsuit is the right decision.
“Judge Howell’s decision today confirms what the Department of Justice and scholars throughout the country have been saying all along: the president’s executive actions on immigration are lawful. The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that federal officials can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws, and the actions announced by the president are consistent with those taken by administrations of both parties for the last half century. The court correctly dismissed Sheriff Arpaio’s lawsuit.”
Howell’s decision comes less than a week after a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled in a criminal case that Obama’s new immigration policy is unconstitutional, a ruling in which Howell highly criticized during the Arpaio hearing.
As The Washington Post reports, the Arpaio case is likely not over. During the hearing before Howell on Monday, Klayman indicated he plans to take the case to the Supreme Court.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is not the only one to bring suit against the President in regards to his recent immigration actions. Earlier this month, 17 states filed a lawsuit against Obama for his controversial order.
[Image via Flickr]
