The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Oklahoma over a state law that imposes criminal penalties to those living in state illegally.

 The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Oklahoma City. The law in question makes it a state crime punishable by up to two years in prison to live in Oklahoma without legal immigration status. Representatives of the federal government say immigration enforcement belongs to the federal government and that Oklahoma cannot disregard the U.S. Constitution. Both Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and State Attorney General Gentner Drummond say the federal government does not have exclusive authority in the matter and that the state is trying to protect its citizens.

Similar laws in Texas and Iowa also face challenges from the Justice Department.