Lawsuit aims to stop scheme that flies immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela into the U.S. and allows them to remain indefinitely.
A coalition of 21 Republican attorneys general filed a motion in federal court aiming to halt a Biden administration policy that allows 30,000 immigrants from four countries to fly into the United States each month.
The motion to reconsider is led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and America First Legal (AFL), a conservative legal group. They filed the motion after a federal court dismissed their lawsuit in March for not proving that “Texas has suffered an injury.”
The lawsuit aimed to stop a “parole” scheme that flies thousands of foreign nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) into the United States and allows them to remain indefinitely.
Under the program, immigrants are required to apply in advance for parole by providing the name of a person who will agree to provide financial support if their application is approved. Additionally, the applicants must pass a background check and present themselves at a designated Port of Entry instead of entering the United States illegally.
Opponents have criticized the program as an alternative immigration system that bypasses Congress’s control.
“The program allows these aliens—after more or less flying to the destination of their choice—to obtain work permits and ultimately claim public benefits, such as food stamps and welfare. The program floods our country with legions of illegal aliens who should not be here, only further worsening the worst immigration crisis in our nation’s history,” the AFL stated in a release on Friday.
The Biden administration parole program was announced in January 2023 by Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It was first instituted in October 2022.
The program aimed to reduce the number of illegal border crossings by allowing Venezuelans to fly directly to the United States. The program was later expanded in January 2023 to include Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
The administration announced that up to 30,000 individuals per month from these four countries could come to the United States, provided they have an eligible sponsor and pass vetting and background checks. These individuals would also receive work authorization.
