Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary administrative stay against the Biden-Harris Administration, blocking the "parole in place" policy while litigation continues.
On August 23, Attorney General Paxton led a 16-state coalition along with co-counsel America First Legal to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over a new policy granting "parole in place" to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. This policy would allow certain classifications of illegal aliens to gain permanent residency status while remaining in the United States, which Paxton argues is in violation of federal law.
Aliens unlawfully present in the United States are generally prohibited from obtaining most immigration benefits, such as permanent resident status, without first leaving the country and being readmitted lawfully. Instead of abiding by current federal law, Biden’s DHS announced that it would permit 1.3 million aliens, including more than 200,000 residing in Texas, to apply for permanent residency—an opportunity not legally available to those present unlawfully.
The federal district court’s order granted a 14-day administrative stay that may be extended. The court noted that Texas's claims regarding DHS potentially violating federal statutory law are “substantial.” An expedited schedule for filing arguments and proceeding with the trial has been set.
“We have temporarily blocked Biden's unlawful new ‘parole in place’ program, which would have rewarded over 1 million illegal aliens with the opportunity for citizenship after breaking our country's laws—and incentivized countless more,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This is just the first step. We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law.”
To read the order, click here.