JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has announced that his office joined 16 other states in filing suit against the Biden-Harris Administration’s “parole in place” (PIP) rule that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to circumvent the law and obtain permanent residency.
Tuesday night, the Court ruled against the unlawful program, putting it on pause while litigation unfolds.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have created a crisis at the southern border, leaving the American people to pay the consequences. In the wake of the federal government’s refusal to act, states like Missouri have no choice but to step in and take action to secure our southern border,” said Attorney General Bailey. “We filed suit to remind the Biden-Harris Administration that they do not have the authority to allow millions of unvetted aliens into our communities. I’m glad the Court recognized that, too.”
The unlawful PIP program would allow aliens who have been unlawfully present in the United States for ten or more years to receive a grant of “parole”—without leaving the United States and attempting to come back and apply for admission at a port of entry—if the alien is the spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen.
Biden’s DHS wrongfully asserts it has “unfettered discretion” into who can enter our nation without consulting Congress. Their new program would allow more than 1.3 million illegal immigrants already in the states to apply for permanent residency. In the complaint, the attorneys general remind the defendants that Congress has not authorized said mass amnesty to illegal aliens.
In the lawsuit, the attorneys general assert that the PIP program is unconstitutional and asks the Court to block it. The Court granted an administrative stay to enjoin the program during the pendency of the litigation.
Attorney General Bailey joined Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, and America First Legal in filing the lawsuit.