The U.S. Department of Justice has sued two more states this month to prevent them from implementing new state laws targeting immigrants.
Why it matters: The lawsuits against Iowa and Oklahoma — in addition to one against Texas — signal that the Biden administration is taking an aggressive stance against states taking immigration matters into their own hands.
Yet border security and immigration are major vulnerabilities for Biden as polls show they are a rising concern among voters ahead of this year’s election.
Catch up quick: Iowa and Oklahoma joined Texas in passing new state laws that charge undocumented immigrants with either a criminal misdemeanor or a felony for entering the country without authorization.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, both Republicans, have said the moves were necessary given a surge of people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The DOJ filed suit against Iowa on May 9 and against Oklahoma on May 21, saying the laws are unconstitutional.
The DOJ is also in court against a Texas law passed last year that would allow state authorities to arrest and deport people suspected of entering the country illegally. That law, which critics warn will lead to racial profiling, is on hold pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
What they’re saying: “Oklahoma cannot disregard the U.S. Constitution and settled Supreme Court precedent,” Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in a statement.
www.axios.com/2024/05/28/biden-immigration-texas-law-oklahoma