Texas, other Red states sue Biden administration to halt “parole in place” immigration program
Official Photo of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
In these fraught political times, it is no surprise that sixteen states are suing to block the Biden administration’s Parole in Place/Keep Families Together program that would provide relief to undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. The coalition of states, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed suit yesterday to enjoin the program, which the Biden administration announced in June.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are
Texas
Idaho
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Missouri
North Dakota
Ohio
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Wyoming
The complaint states that the Biden administration bypassed Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for “blatant political purposes.” “This action incentivizes illegal immigration and will irreparably harm the Plaintiff states,” the complaint states.
The first paragraphs of the complaint lay out the gist of the lawsuit:
“1. This is a challenge to unlawful agency action taken by the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) to create a program that will grant hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens parole in
place (PIP). See generally Implementation of Keeping Families Together, 89 Fed. Reg. at 67,459
(Aug. 20, 2024) (PIP Program).
2. Longstanding federal law prohibits aliens who entered the United States unlawfully
from obtaining most immigration benefits. This includes obtaining lawful permanent resident
status—without first leaving the United States and waiting outside the United States for the
requisite time—based on an approved family-based or employment-based visa petition.
3. These provisions of law established by Congress serve as powerful disincentives for
individuals to cross the border unlawfully. Indeed, were they not present, there would be no
practical reason for any alien to abide by the law, wait his or her turn, and only come to the United
States when the law provides.”
KJ