Senate Republicans are moving to file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case challenging President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, according to a Monday report from Politico.
A strong majority of Senate Republicans have signed onto the brief, which argues that the president overstepped his constitutional authority when he allowed millions of immigrants to stay in the country, despite the fact they were residing in the country illegally.
The Supreme Court– which is now made up of eight justices after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death – is expected to hear arguments in the case, United States v. Texas, on April 18. If the president’s executive actions are upheld, millions of immigrants in the country illegally will be eligible to stay. The Senate’s GOP’s action on the matter reveals just how invested the Republican Party is in blocking the president ‘s immigration legacy, which it sees as overreach.
According to Politico, 43 of 54 Republican senators signed onto the brief. Several Republicans who declined to sign onto it are running for re-election including Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Burr (R-NC). Other Republicans who declined to endorse the brief included Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) Dean Heller (R-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO).
House Republicans also voted and passed their own amicus brief in the case.