WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Obama administration yesterday sued Arizona over the state’s strict new immigration  law in a move that drew fire from Republicans who said the  border needed more security.

The Arizona law requires state and local police to  investigate the immigration status of anyone they reasonably  suspect of being an illegal immigrant, provoking criticism that  it is unconstitutional and would sap law enforcement  resources.

The Republican-controlled Arizona legislature passed the  law to try to stem the flood of thousands of illegal immigrants  who cross its border from Mexico each month and to cut down on  drug trafficking and other crimes in the area.

The lawsuit, filed while Congress was on a week-long break,  is part of a broader approach by President Barack Obama to deal  with the 10.8 million illegal immigrants believed to be in the  country, arguing that immigration is the responsibility of the  federal government not each state.

The legal action is a political gamble by the  administration as a Pew Research Center poll showed 59 percent  of people approve of the Arizona crackdown.

The Arizona law would “interfere with vital foreign policy  and national security interests by disrupting the United  States’ relationship with Mexico and other countries,” the  Justice Department said in the 25-page lawsuit.