State Legislators Respond to Federal Law Enforcement by Creating Legal Avenues to Protect Rights

Given expanded federal law enforcement within state borders, states are establishing new legal avenues to challenge federal overreach and uphold individual and state rights. States can act to create new legal causes of action, reinforce state authority, and strengthen investigative and enforcement mechanisms to challenge unlawful conduct. These efforts lay the groundwork for challenging federal overreach in court.

State Futures’ other issue briefs on state legislative responses to federal immigration enforcement are available here.