Mississippi Joins Immigration Suit Against Feds

JACKSON, Miss.--Mississippi's governor says a directive by Dir. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano usurps the right of Congress to regulate immigration. That's why he, on behalf of the state, has joined a lawsuit filed by ten Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from Texas.

Those officers say the Obama administration is forcing them to violate their oath to uphold federal immigration laws. The suit says that their bosses, Napolitano and ultimately Pres. Obama, are failing to uphold laws passed by Congress, which Obama is solemnly sworn to enforce.

A statement from Bryant's camp from a Wednesday press release:

"States must protect their borders while the federal government continues to ignore this growing problem,” Gov. Bryant said. “I believe this action by the Obama administration is unconstitutional and circumvents Congress’s authority. The fact remains that illegal immigration is a real issue with real consequences, and ignoring the rule of law is irresponsible. As governor, I cannot turn a blind eye to the problem of illegal immigration and its costs to Mississippi.”

Bryant says a report he had done while he was state auditor in 2006 estimated then that Mississippi was losing $25 million annually because of illegal immigration. That includes law enforcement, education and health care costs.

Bryant told us that you are not paying for Mississippi's involvement in the suit. The state is represented by immigration law expert Kris Kobach and Michael Jung, a Texas attorney.