Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken a stand against the Biden Administration with a new lawsuit, joining forces with 16 states and America First Legal. Their target: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and additional officials, over what they're calling an "unlawful" immigration rule amendment. Specifically, this legal challenge seeks to halt a policy that would effectively grant "parole in place" to a substantial number of undocumented immigrants, allowing them potential paths to permanent residency, according to the Texas Attorney General's office.
The contention from Paxton and his coalition, presented in the lawsuit, asserts that over 200,000 individuals residing in Texas could bypass the law as a result of this policy. Accused of circumventing current laws, the administration has signaled it will enable approximately 1.3 million undocumented individuals to seek permanent residency without exiting and lawfully re-entering the United States—a process traditionally mandated by federal statute. Despite the fervor of Paxton's convictions, which echoes loudly through Texas, the legality of the DHS policy remains the true question at the heart of this unfolding drama.
According to a statement from Attorney General Paxton, obtained by the Texas Attorney General's office, the federal government is "actively working to turn the United States into a nation without borders and a country without laws." Paxton has not minced words, adding, "I will not let this happen." In his view, the administration's actions not only violate the Constitution but also exacerbate the issues surrounding illegal immigration.
The partnership with America First Legal, whose president Stephen Miller has a known reputation for his stringent immigration stance, brings an additional level of firepower to the lawsuit. With a goal to combat what they see as a reckless disregard for immigration laws, Miller shared in a similarly condemning tone, "This executive amnesty gives over one million illegals legal status, work permits, and a path to voting citizenship. It is brazenly unlawful, a deadly accelerant to the ruinous border invasion, and we will use every lawful tool to stop it," as per the Texas Attorney General's office. The alignment of these two parties embodies a synergy built on a shared foundation of strict immigration enforcement and constitutional adherence.
