Attorney General Charity Clark has aligned with a group of 16 attorneys general to support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) parole pathways for vulnerable immigrants. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the case Doe v. Noem, urging the court to issue a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's directive to end these humanitarian programs.
The executive order from January 20 directed DHS to cease processing new applications and prevent current parolees from seeking other immigration statuses. This action has disrupted the lives of many legal immigrants, including Afghans who have supported U.S. interests, Ukrainians affected by Russia's invasion, and individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela fleeing perilous conditions.
Attorney General Clark emphasized that these immigrants contribute significantly to the workforce and economy through taxes and spending power. Ending parole pathways could negatively impact communities in Vermont and nationwide by removing these contributions and increasing public safety costs.
Parole pathways provide temporary residence for immigrants as they await permanent status review. Many also secure other immigration statuses during this period. The coalition argues that terminating these pathways would lead to family separations and risk deportation for current parolees back to unsafe countries.
The attorneys general joining Attorney General Clark include representatives from California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.