PHOENIX — An Arizona sheriff who has clashed with the federal government and made waves for cracking down on illegal immigration sued President Barack Obama to challenge his new changes to the immigration system.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio (are-PIE’-oh) contends Obama acted outside his constitutional authority and asks the court to block the move.
The changes include making millions of immigrants illegally in the United States eligible for protection from deportation and for work permits. The changes would not go through Congress.
Obama’s administration in recent years stripped 100 of Arpaio’s deputies of their powers to make federal immigration arrests and filed a still-pending lawsuit against his office alleging civil rights violations, including racial profiling of Latinos.
