BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced a 10-state coalition in defense of President Trump’s executive order that directs the federal government to ensure municipalities comply with laws prohibiting sanctuary cities.

“This is not a political issue; it is a public safety issue,” said General Landry. “Cities and their leaders who engage in sanctuary city policies undermine the safety of our citizens.” 

The states filed an amicus brief in support of the federal government’s motion to dismiss three lawsuits, arguing that the lawsuits are premature and undermine the President’s immigration enforcement authority. 

“Sanctuary policies obstructing cooperation with federal agencies defy the rule of law,” added General Landry. “The President’s executive order aims to protect Americans from these reckless and illegal practices.”

“The President and Congress can enforce this executive order while still respecting the role of states in our constitutional structure,” concluded General Landry. “For the safety of our people, I hope the court follows the Constitution and dismisses these lawsuits.”

The states joining Louisiana and West Virginia in this friend-of-the-court brief are Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. 

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A copy of the brief may be found at http://www.ago.wv.gov/Documents/2017.06.16%20Sanctuary%20Brief.PDF.