Conservatives: Let’s sue Obama over immigration

Seven House Republicans are calling on GOP leadership to sue President Obama for his executive action on immigration and deny funding for carrying it out.

In a Tuesday letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the conservative lawmakers laid out their proposal for responding to Obama’s move to delay deportations for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants.

{mosads}”Specifically, we ask that House leadership act on three measures. First, the House should immediately pass a short-term spending bill that defunds the entirety of President Obama’s executive order. Second, our body should pass H.Res.757 which would authorize the House to sue the president for any actions in violation of the Constitution in regards to immigration enforcement.

“Finally, the House must prohibit any funds from being used to provide work permits or green cards to illegal immigrants who are unlawfully living in the United States,” they wrote.

One of the letter’s signatories, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), introduced the resolution to authorize a lawsuit last week. The legal action would be in addition to the pending House GOP lawsuit against President Obama for his use of executive power in delaying the ObamaCare requirement that certain employers provide their workers with health insurance. 

But the other aspects of the conservatives’ proposal to defund the executive action may not be possible through the upcoming government spending bill to avoid a shutdown after Dec. 11.

The agency tasked with issuing work permits, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is funded through fees and is not subject to the congressional appropriations process.

A final decision on the party’s response to President Obama is not expected until after House Republicans convene for a conference meeting on Dec. 2.

“There is too much at risk for this lawlessness to go unchallenged,” the lawmakers wrote.