A 20th state has joined the effort to block the Biden administration’s effort to open up America’s borders to more immigrants.
On January 5, the White House revealed its new strategy for the country’s immigration troubles, which outlined changes for the Department of Homeland Security that would pair stricter enforcement for illegal entry with increased opportunities for legal entry. The stated aim of the program is to “…increase security at the border and reduce the number of individuals crossing unlawfully between ports of entry.” Specifically, it will allow up to 30,000 individuals a month to come to the United States “on parole” from Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti while expelling illegal immigrants back to Mexico.
This announcement was followed by President Biden’s first visit to the southern border, where he met with Mexican leaders to discuss the program. New statistics also revealed that December had the highest number of illegal border crossings since the start of Biden’s term – a fact which likely helped spur the administration to action. The program cites the success of a similar policy for Venezuelan immigrants, previously implemented back in October, and maintained under the new policy, as a model to follow.
Not everyone is convinced, however. Twenty states (as of this writing) have filed a lawsuit in a Texan federal court against the governmental bodies involved. The lawsuit contends that the program is outside the bounds of the Executive Branch’s power, and that the affected states would suffer harm from its policies. Furthermore, the plaintiffs maintain that, “The Department of Homeland Security… under the false pretense of preventing aliens from unlawfully crossing the border between the ports of entry, has effectively created a new visa program — without the formalities of legislation from Congress.” Ashley Moody, the Attorney General of Florida, described the program as “…yet another reckless attempt to continue flooding the country with massive waves of illegal immigrants.”
For now, the administration is holding firm. The White House’s initial statement placed some of the blame on the shoulders of their political opponents, claiming that solutions “…can only happen if Republicans in Congress… quit blocking the comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures President Biden proposed on his first day in office.” Biden backed up this stance himself, criticizing the Republican Party by stating, “They can keep using immigration to try to score political points, or they can help solve the problem.”
While, given the nature of opposition from a growing number of states, the fate of America’s immigration policy remains unclear, the number of immigrants entering the country both through legal and illegal means continues to rise.
