Herbert SlateryNASHVILLE - Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery today said he is joining a multi-state lawsuit launched by fellow Republicans in other states to challenge President Barack Obama's executive action on illegal immigration.
Slatery, a Republican, earlier today notified various parties involved in the litigation and Tennessee is joining the lawsuit. Tennessee becomes the 25th state to join in the challenge.
"[T]he State cannot sit on the sidelines of this case, when unlawful directives of this magnitude grant lawful presence and other rights like work permits to such a large number," Slatery said in a statement.
He said "asking a court to review this issue is the prudent choice, especially when state resources will be taxed under the directives to provide benefits like unemployment compensation and health care."
Lt. Governor Ramsey's thoughts on Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery's decision to join Texas v. U.S. can be found on Facebook:
Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said in a statment that "I applaud Attorney General Slatery's decision to join the lawsuit challenging the President's unconstitutional action on immigration.
"Barack Obama tossed aside not just public opinion but key tenets of our constitutional democracy when he bypassed Congress to grant illegal immigrants defacto amnesty," Ramsey said. "I'm proud that Tennessee will among the states standing up to this truly shocking display of executive arrogance."
Slatery, a former legal counsel to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, in September became the first Republican appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court since post-Civil War Reconstruction. The Supreme Court names the attorney general.
Last summer, Ramsey led an unsuccessful effort to oust three sitting Democratic Supreme Court justices in their retention elections. Ramsey said his effort was based in part on then-Attorney General Bob Cooper's refusal to join a Republican lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.