A federal judge ruled that nearly a dozen federal immigration agents can move forward with their lawsuit against their own bosses and even President Obama over change in enforcement policy that the agents argue prevent them from doing their jobs.
Federal Judge Reed O’Conner ruled on Friday Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ case has legal merit. They argue their bosses essentially have forced them to look the other way and not enforce the law — thus overstepping Congress by changing laws through directives rather than legislation.
The state of Mississippi joined the lawsuit against the administration but judge O’Conner dismissed the state from the lawsuit on Friday in the 35-page opinion.
The agents filed the lawsuit in October against the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, and ICE Director John Morton, to ask the courts to overturn last year’s directive by Obama to suspend deportation proceedings and offer temporary work authorization to some immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.