Politics

Maine governor says he is suing ‘illegal immigrants,’ not the president

Gov. LePage of Maine said he is suing illegal immigrants, not the president. Robert F. Bukaty / AP

At the end of last year, Maine Gov. Paul LePage listed his name in a 26-state lawsuit against President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t mean he’s suing the president, according to LePage. He says the lawsuit is aimed directly at “illegal immigrants.’’

In a handwritten letter, LePage confronted Murshed Zaheed, the deputy political director of progressive activist group CREDO and one of many who have asked him to drop the state’s lawsuit. LePage’s response said that Zaheed must “mistake [him] for someone else!’’ because he filed a lawsuit against “illegal immigrants taking state money against state and federal laws,’’ not the president, Talking Points Memo reported.

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Along with Maine, 25 other states are involved in the lawsuit, but only three other governors listed their names. The lawsuit does not list “illegal immigrants’’ as defendants.

Obama’s executive order protects some immigrants who entered the country illegally from deportation.

Read the full Talking Points Memo report here.

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