Pence, other GOP governors eye immigration lawsuit

Gov. Mike Pence added his name Thursday to a list of several Republican governors who are considering suing to block President Barack Obama's anticipated immigration plan.

"If he takes the action he takes tonight, I think frankly that it should be immediately challenged in court and we should seek an immediate stay," Pence said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"We are already examining the possibility of Indiana joining into litigation," he said. "We've just begun some preliminary discussions. We're waiting to see what the president proposes."

Pence spokeswoman Christy Denault said the governor's office was consulting with Attorney General Greg Zoeller and will consider further steps after Obama issues his executive order.

Pence joins Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in announcing they are considering lawsuits against Obama; all three men are also considering running for the White House in 2016.

Pence has challenged the Obama administration on immigration before, saying that he was kept out of the loop on placing in the state people who are in the U.S. illegally.

Obama announced "executive action" for dealing with immigration problems during a national address Thursday night. After the speech, Pence released a statement calling it an "unacceptable end run around the democratic process and must be reversed."

Republicans have widely derided the president for attempting to circumvent Congress, including many of Indiana's congressional members.

U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., accused Obama of ignoring "wishes of the American people," a nod to recent Republican victories at the ballot box that will give them solid control of the U.S. Senate in the upcoming Congress.

"The Constitutional role of a U.S. President is to faithfully execute the law, not alter or ignore it as he sees fit," Coats said in a statement Thursday afternoon.