Legal Salvos

Texas, Oklahoma Vow Immigration Lawsuits

Claim Obama action flouts Constitution.

Texas Governor-Elect Greg Abbott pledged to challenge President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration in court. Abbott, who will serve as Texas’ attorney general until he succeeds Gov. Rick Perry in January, made his vow Thursday, shortly after the president issued expansive executive actions to spare nearly 5 million people in the U.S. illegally from deportation. In a statement, Abbott said, “President Obama has circumvented Congress and deliberately bypassed the will of the American people, eroding the very foundation of our nation’s Constitution and bestowing a legacy of lawlessness.” Separately, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt announced prior to Obama’s speech that the state will bring forward legal action.