STATEHOUSE—State Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) was among a nationwide coalition of state legislators that has filed an amicus brief with the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against the Obama administration’s legal challenge to Arizona’s newly enacted illegal alien apprehension and deportation law (Senate Bill 1070).

State Legislators for Legal Immigration’s amicus brief was filed on behalf of the state of Arizona and Gov.
Jan Brewer. Signed by a total of 51 state lawmakers from 24 state legislatures, the brief urges the court to                                 
reverse the preliminary injunction granted on July 28, 2010 and allow all the provisions of Senate Bill 1070 to        
be enforced immediately.

The brief argues that giving state and local law enforcement full authority to apprehend illegal aliens for deportation as provided for in Senate Bill 1070 is:

• Not a violation of the Supremacy Clause or pre-empted by federal law;
• Entirely consistent with the “dual system” of sovereignty between the states and the federal government;
• No way an obstacle to the enforcement of federal immigration law as alleged by the Obama administration.

“Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states that our government ‘shall guarantee to every state in this Union a Republican form of government and shall protect each of them against invasion,’” said Rep. Koch. “It is unfortunate that the Obama administration has chosen to launch a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the State of Arizona for passing a common-sense law to defend its citizens.  As legislators from sister states, we stand with Arizona.”

To view the amicus brief in its entirety or for more information visit: www.StateLegislatorsforLegalImmigration.com

Rep. Koch serves House District 65, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, and Lawrence counties.  He serves in House leadership as Assistant Republican Caucus Chairman and as the Ranking Republican Member on the House Courts & Criminal Code Committee.

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Rep. Koch can be reached at 1-800-382-9841, by email at h65@in.gov or by mail at 200 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204.  His website is www.in.gov/h65.