Several Republican states sue Biden to block immigration regularization plan

Republican States Sue President Biden

Seek to Block Immigrant Regularization

Who are Involved?

A coalition of 16 Republican states filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday to stop a new regularization plan.

This plan is expected to benefit about half a million undocumented spouses or stepchildren of U.S. citizens.

Texas Attorney General, Republican Ken Paxton, stated in a press release today that they have requested a federal court to halt the implementation of the rule.

They argue that it violates the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and immigration laws.

WHY ARE REPUBLICAN STATES SUEING PRESIDENT BIDEN?

Republican States Sue President Biden – Photo: Shutterstock

The Keeping Families Together program, which opened its registrations last Monday, relies on the so-called «parole in place.»

This grants a temporary permit to remain in the U.S., providing protection from deportation.

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The regularization plan also allows undocumented individuals the possibility to obtain a work permit.

Most importantly, it enables beneficiaries to process for permanent residency in the U.S. by being married or a stepchild of a U.S. citizen without having to leave the country.

What does the immigrant regularization program require?

The program requires that the applicant must have lived in the country for a minimum of 10 years and been married before June 17 of the last year.

The Biden Administration estimated that approximately 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens and about 50,000 stepchildren would be eligible for the program.

Since its announcement last June, ultra-conservative sectors had threatened to challenge it in court.

They have also accused the Democratic Administration of using it as part of the campaign to retain the Presidency.

Who are the plaintiffs in this lawsuit?

The organization America First Legal, led by Stephen Miller, the architect of the immigration policy during Donald Trump’s presidency, joined the conservatives in the lawsuit.

It specifically names the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, and other White House officials.

In the press release, Paxton claims that the new rule would shield 1.3 million undocumented individuals.

Including the 200,000 who would live in Texas, figures that have been disputed by community organizations.

Who will benefit?

The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), which groups more than 75 immigrant rights organizations in 42 states, estimates that the plan would benefit about 450,000 people to achieve immigrant regularization.

This is 100,000 fewer than the government projects.

«Biden’s new solution unilaterally grants the opportunity for citizenship to unvetted foreigners whose first act on American soil was to violate our laws,» said Paxton.

Ignoring that the rule excludes undocumented individuals who were previously deported or have a criminal record.

What Republican states are part of the lawsuit?

Miller, the president of America First Legal, stated that he will use «all legal tools to stop» the implementation of the immigrant regularization rule.

The states of Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming are part of the plaintiffs.

Texas has led several legal battles against the Biden Administration on immigration issues.

Among them, one that seeks to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has benefited thousands of young «Dreamers» since 2012. With information from EFE.

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