FAIR: Biden's Immigration Policy Consists of Nothing More than Sham Border Enforcement and Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

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Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Jun 18, 2024, 12:37 ET

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- President Biden's unilateral decision to grant amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens through parole-in-place marks the administration's latest abuse of executive power in its never-ending quest to subvert U.S. immigration laws, charged the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

President Biden's executive action grants 'parole-in-place' – along with immediate work authorization and a pathway to citizenship – to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. "Through this sweeping executive action, which has no grounding in federal law, the President is illegally claiming the power to bypass Congress' plenary authority over immigration policy in pursuit of a political goal as the president faces reelection," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

Parole-in-place has no basis in law. It is an authority that was conjured up in a 1998 memorandum by the Clinton administration and has been abused by subsequent administrations to create a path to citizenship for various groups of illegal aliens. The federal parole statute is very narrow, and only grants authority to allow inadmissible aliens to temporarily enter to the United States on a case-by-case basis only. Even then, the parole must be justified by "urgent humanitarian reasons" or a "significant public benefit."

This long-standing federal statute, however, has not dissuaded the Biden administration from advancing its open-borders agenda. The Biden administration has illegally distorted parole beyond recognition, to a point where more parolees are entering the country than green card holders. Today's broad action compounds this power grab with another blatant violation of federal law. It marks the biggest amnesty granted since the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act – implemented without the consent of Congress.

"Two weeks ago, the president sought to appease the vast majority of Americans alarmed by the historic wave of illegal immigration – triggered by his own policies – by issuing a proclamation that claims to get tough on border enforcement and asylum abuse," noted Stein. "That so-called enforcement order contains so many loopholes and exceptions that it amounts to little more than a speed bump for illegal aliens who continue to arrive here in record numbers.

"By contrast, today's action – designed to shore-up the president's far-left political base – includes tangible and enduring benefits for illegal aliens. It is not simply a decision to defer removal proceedings. It is an immigration benefits program that gives illegal aliens a reprieve from deportation and allows them to apply for work authorization, Social Security numbers, Obamacare and green cards. It also makes them "qualified aliens" under federal law, which means that in a few short years they will be eligible for Medicaid, food stamps and a plethora of federal means-tested benefits. To make matters worse, by granting these aliens parole-in-place, they will jump to the front of the line, ahead of aliens legally applying for green cards.

The political motivation the White House's recent antics is not speculative. The president spelled it out clearly at the time he issued his loophole-ridden executive order stating, 'For those who say the steps I've taken are too strict, I say to you … be patient. In the weeks ahead — and I mean the weeks ahead — I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and more just.' Rewarding illegal immigration with amnesty is neither fair nor just, nor does he have any constitutional authority to do so," Stein continued.

"Given the magnitude of the illegal immigration crisis and the administration's repeated and flagrant abuse of our immigration laws to allow illegal aliens to enter the country, it is imperative that Congress take decisive action to halt today's unlawful and politically-driven order from taking effect," concluded Stein.

Contact: Joey Chester, [email protected], 202-740-7355

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)