Indiana Joins Lawsuit Against Obama's Immigration Action, Kentucky Doesn't

Indiana this week became part of a group of 17 states that filed a lawsuit against President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration.

Kentucky is not included in the lawsuit.

The Hoosier state is led by Republican Gov. Mike Pence and has a Republican attorney general, Greg Zoeller. As the Journal Gazette reports, Pence has permission to hire an outside law firm to represent the state.

According to Politico, Pence said in a statement: “This lawsuit is not about immigration. It is about denying states such as ours the opportunity to be represented in policy making through our elected members of Congress.”

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear told WFPL in a written statement:
Our office was not approached to join the lawsuit against the President, and our internal review indicates that the President was most likely acting within his authority. We are reviewing what impact the President’s order may have on the services provided by our Cabinets and agencies, but so far it appears to have little effect. Once again, I call upon Congress and the President to get moving and resolve these issues.
Obama’s actions would impact some 4 million undocumented immigrants nationwide and would delay their deportation. They would also be eligible for social security benefits, as NPR reports.

The action, which has yet to be outlined in full, would have an impact on a greater number of those living in Indiana than in Kentucky.

A study by the Pew Research Centerestimates the undocumented population in Kentucky is 35,000. It’s more than double—85,000—in Indiana. But both states saw declines between 2009 and 2012, the study shows.

In Kentucky, the undocumented population makes up less than 1 percent of the population. In Indiana it’s 1.3 percent, according to the Pew study.