Arr! Biden be facin' a trial this week for his scurvy immigration policy, lettin' loads o' migrants into US waters!
2023-08-21
Arr! A quarrel be brewin' o'er a precious piece o' President Biden's immigration plan, mateys! Them Republican states claim 'tis a foul breach o' the U.S. Constitution, arr! 'Twill be settled this week, mark me words!
In a humorous 17th-century pirate language, the key news is about President Biden's immigration policy and the humanitarian parole program, which is facing a trial to determine its legality. This program allows up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. every month. It was created for Venezuelans in the fall of 2022 and expanded in January to include migrants from other countries. The program grants a two-year stay to those who find a financial sponsor in the U.S. The Biden administration argues that the program is important for reducing stress on the U.S.-Mexico border, but 21 Republican states claim that it violates Congress's power.The trial will be heard by Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee, in Victoria, Texas, starting on Thursday. The Republican states argue that the Biden administration exceeded its power by allowing up to 360,000 people annually into the U.S. under the program. They believe it is an overreach of the parole power and should only be used for urgent humanitarian reasons. The Biden administration, on the other hand, argues that it had to use the program due to the lack of congressional action to overhaul the immigration system.
Applicants for the program still have to pass background checks and have a financial sponsor in the U.S. to vouch for them. They must also fly into a U.S. airport instead of crossing the southern border. The administration's strategy is facing the risk of collapse as it awaits the trial. Blas Nuñez-Neto, the assistant secretary for border and immigration policy, expressed concern about the upcoming trial and stated that the government will appeal if it loses.
The Biden administration's use of the program is one of the largest single uses of the humanitarian parole authority in U.S. history. The program has been used in the past for Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Iraqi Kurds, and Cubans. The administration started the program for Venezuelans in October 2022 and added Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans in January.