Immigration

States File Lawsuit Against Trump’s DACA Order

Written by SK Ashby

Attorneys general for New York and Washington state have followed through on their threat to file a lawsuit against Trump's order to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but they've been joined by many others.

In total, 15 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn under the jurisdiction of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

In addition to alleging that Trump's order violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourth Amendment, they're also arguing that it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The states' lawsuit alleges that Trump violated the Constitution's equal protection clause by targeting a cohort that is nearly 80 percent Mexican natives.

Citing Trump's numerous statements disparaging Mexicans as "criminals, thugs, and 'bad hombres,' " Ferguson said Trump has revealed "a racial animus" towards Mexicans: "Ask yourself one question: If the overwhelming majority were Caucasians, does anybody really think he (President Trump) would have taken the action he took?"

The states also argue that their economies will be harmed by the deportation of thousands of students and employees who contribute to their communities and pay taxes.

I don't know if any of these arguments will necessarily hold up, but they're clearly throwing everything they have at it in an effort to see if something will stick.

I believe their claims are legitimate, but whether a federal court will see it that way remains to be seen.