Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant legal victory by permanently blocking the Biden-Harris Administration's "parole in place" policy. This policy aimed to provide a path to citizenship for over one million illegal aliens without meeting Congressional requirements.
On August 23, Paxton led a coalition of 16 states, with assistance from America First Legal, in suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over this policy. The lawsuit contested the DHS's decision to allow hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens to gain permanent residency and eventual U.S. citizenship while staying in the United States.
Current federal law requires that aliens unlawfully present must leave the U.S. and apply for legal permanent resident status at an embassy or consulate in their home country. However, DHS announced it would permit 1.3 million aliens, including more than 200,000 residing in Texas, to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country first.
On August 27, Paxton obtained a temporary stay as litigation proceeded and has now secured a final order vacating the rule permanently. A federal district court determined that the Biden-Harris Administration did not have statutory authority to grant "parole in place" and prohibited its enforcement.
Attorney General Paxton stated: “Once again we have stopped the Biden-Harris Administration’s radical attempts to destroy America’s borders and undermine the rule of law.” He added that this parole scheme would have incentivized millions more illegal entries into the country.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, commented: “Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has dedicated itself to the decimation of our immigration system and erasure of our borders." He praised Texas and Attorney General Paxton for stopping what he described as an illegal program offering amnesty to numerous illegal aliens.
The judgment prevents further implementation of this policy.