OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is fighting to protect Oklahoma’s right to secure its communities through immigration law enforcement. He and a coalition of 22 attorneys general are asking a federal appeals court to overturn a decision that stopped Texas from enforcing its own immigration law.

A federal judge recently blocked a Texas law that would have made illegal border crossing a state crime and allowed Texas courts to deport people who entered the country unlawfully. The judge ruled that immigration enforcement is the federal government’s job, not the states.

“Oklahoma has seen firsthand how inadequate federal immigration enforcement places burdens on our state resources, strains our healthcare systems and creates public safety challenges for our communities,” said Drummond. “When federal action falls short, states like Oklahoma must retain the authority to protect our citizens and enforce laws that keep our communities safe.”

In a legal brief filed this week in the case United States v. Texas, the attorneys general argue that states should have the right to pass laws that keep their people safe. They point out that with record numbers of people crossing the southern border, the federal government isn’t doing enough.

The attorneys general are asking the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to review the case and reverse the earlier decision. They want the court to confirm that states can take action to protect their residents when federal response falls short.

Joining Oklahoma in signing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.