Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson Vows to Sue Trump if He Ends DACA

Ferguson in February. SB

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday promised to sue President Trump if he ends Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that protects some undocumented youth from deportation.

Ferguson's statement came shortly after reports that Trump is seriously considering ending the program with a six-month delay for Congress to come up with a replacement.

“If President Trump follows through on his reported decision to cancel DACA after a six-month delay, the Washington Attorney General's Office will file suit to halt this cruel and illegal policy and defend DACA recipients,” Ferguson said, using the name associated with immigrants who qualify for DACA. About 19,000 DACA recipients live in Washington State. To qualify for DACA, an immigrant must have arrived in the United States before 2007 and his or her 16th birthday.

Ferguson joined New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in vowing a challenge to Trump over DACA. In his statement, Ferguson said, "we expect to be joined by other states in this action."