To: Attorney General Sam Olens and Governor Brian Kemp

Tell Gov. Deal to Drop The Lawsuit Attacking Georgia Immigrants and Families

Gov. Deal and Attorney General Olens, end your lawsuit attacking long-time Georgia immigrants and families. With more workers and employers paying taxes under President Obama's new immigrant documentation policy, the State of Georgia would gain an additional $190 million in tax revenues over five years (according to the Center for American Progress). Instead of accepting this money, your administration is spending additional Georgia tax dollars fighting it. Why?

Why is this important?

Recently, the State of Georgia joined a host of other states in suing the federal government over the President's executive action on immigration. In addition to subjecting thousands of Georgia families to deportation, this lawsuit, if successful, would deny work permits to thousands of Georgia immigrants and deprive our state of a massive $190 million in much-needed tax revenue over the next five years.

President Obama had to act on immigration after Republicans in Congress chose to do nothing. And despite the fact that President Obama's immigration action will benefit countless families in Georgia and generate almost $200 million dollars in taxes for the state, Gov. Nathan Deal and Attorney General Sam Olens are joining with their political partisans to block it.

It was bad enough when last year Gov. Deal wrongly assumed a Georgia college student was an undocumented immigrant simply based on the color of her skin. Now by taking part in this anti-immigrant lawsuit, he’s got his eyes set on millions of actual undocumented immigrants across the United States.

We need Gov. Deal and his administration to immediately end the lawsuit against President Obama and stop the attacks against immigrant workers and families living in Georgia. They are part of our state and they deserve a way to become documented residents, not shunned and set up for deportation.