Republican Congressman Steve King says it’s time for states to pressure the feds to enforce immigration laws.
According to King, the federal government is failing to uphold the U.S. Constitution when it fails to eject illegal immigrants from the country. "The constitutional right is protection from invasion and protection from domestic violence in article 4, section 4 of the constitution," King says.
King contends that means states have the right to ask the federal government to act and start deporting illegal immigrants, some of whom King says are drug dealers, rapists and murderers. "The state legislatures can petition the executive branch — the White House — for protection from invasion or protection against domestic violence and they can do that, or the governor can do that if the legislature can’t be convened," King says. "…I don’t think anyone’s explored that yet."
Since congress appears to be deadlocked over immigration reform, King plans to talk with leaders of state legislatures around the country to try to get states to force the issue. "I went back and read through some Federalist Papers and they support that concept," King says.
King says he doubts the Iowa Legislature would take such action because Democrats control a majority of seats. He says it may take a Republican majority to pass such a resolution calling upon the federal government to send agents into Iowa to evict illegal immigrants.