AG Moody Receives Security Briefing at Southwest Border, Joins Multistate Effort to Stop Unlawful Immigration Program
Release Date
Jan 28, 2022
Contact
Kylie Mason
Phone
850-245-0150
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today in Texas joined attorneys general from across the nation at the country’s southwest border. Attorney General Moody received a briefing from law enforcement officials about the dramatic overrun of the border brought on by President Joe Biden’s reckless immigration policies—the impact of which is resulting in public safety ramifications for citizens and taxpayers far beyond U.S. states that border Mexico.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “After seeing the chaos in person, it is even more clear to me now that Biden and Mayorkas are building their own illegal organization to transport illegal immigrants into and around our country—thumbing their noses at federal laws. I will not only work aggressively to stop these illegal acts, but I will continue to inform Floridians about what their federal government is actually doing, and the dangers associated with those decisions.”
Governor Ron DeSantis said, “The Biden administration continues to disregard the laws of this country and allow massive numbers of illegal aliens across the border, without regard to possible criminal backgrounds or connections to illicit activity. Not only are these illegal aliens allowed free reign in this country, but the administration also pushes the burden and costs onto the states and ignores the consequences of its policies. I’m glad that Attorney General Moody is helping to block the reckless immigration policies of the Biden administration.”
At a news conference concluding the attorneys general border security briefing, the attorneys general announced a multistate legal challenge to Biden’s unlawful—and inaccurately named—Central America Minors program. Florida is joining this effort to overturn the unlawful program, that allows illegal immigrants from three Central American countries to bring their families, including family members over 18 and adult caregivers, to the United States without going through the proper legal channels. The program applies to illegal immigrants with merely a pending claim for asylum, which is true of many illegal immigrants, most of whom will not be granted asylum and many will not even show up to their hearings.
As the lawsuit argues, the CAM program is unlawful. While the program references refugee status, most individuals in the program do not qualify as a refugee. Instead, the government uses parole authority under 8 U.S.C. § 1182. However, that authority is an extraordinarily narrow mechanism to temporarily admit individuals on a case-by-case basis and is limited to circumstances presenting urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The multistate complaint also argues that the CAM program is arbitrary and capricious, subject to notice and comment, and violates the president’s duty to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed.
The complaint also highlights the harm to Florida, as the unlawful admission of immigrants into Florida violates the state’s quasi-sovereign interest in its territory and costs millions of taxpayer dollars. Florida spends more than $100 million per year incarcerating people in the country illegally who commit crimes. Additionally, Florida provides significant public benefits to people in the state, regardless of immigration status, including education, emergency medical services and victim’s services.
To read the full complaint, click here.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “After seeing the chaos in person, it is even more clear to me now that Biden and Mayorkas are building their own illegal organization to transport illegal immigrants into and around our country—thumbing their noses at federal laws. I will not only work aggressively to stop these illegal acts, but I will continue to inform Floridians about what their federal government is actually doing, and the dangers associated with those decisions.”
Governor Ron DeSantis said, “The Biden administration continues to disregard the laws of this country and allow massive numbers of illegal aliens across the border, without regard to possible criminal backgrounds or connections to illicit activity. Not only are these illegal aliens allowed free reign in this country, but the administration also pushes the burden and costs onto the states and ignores the consequences of its policies. I’m glad that Attorney General Moody is helping to block the reckless immigration policies of the Biden administration.”
At a news conference concluding the attorneys general border security briefing, the attorneys general announced a multistate legal challenge to Biden’s unlawful—and inaccurately named—Central America Minors program. Florida is joining this effort to overturn the unlawful program, that allows illegal immigrants from three Central American countries to bring their families, including family members over 18 and adult caregivers, to the United States without going through the proper legal channels. The program applies to illegal immigrants with merely a pending claim for asylum, which is true of many illegal immigrants, most of whom will not be granted asylum and many will not even show up to their hearings.
As the lawsuit argues, the CAM program is unlawful. While the program references refugee status, most individuals in the program do not qualify as a refugee. Instead, the government uses parole authority under 8 U.S.C. § 1182. However, that authority is an extraordinarily narrow mechanism to temporarily admit individuals on a case-by-case basis and is limited to circumstances presenting urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The multistate complaint also argues that the CAM program is arbitrary and capricious, subject to notice and comment, and violates the president’s duty to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed.
The complaint also highlights the harm to Florida, as the unlawful admission of immigrants into Florida violates the state’s quasi-sovereign interest in its territory and costs millions of taxpayer dollars. Florida spends more than $100 million per year incarcerating people in the country illegally who commit crimes. Additionally, Florida provides significant public benefits to people in the state, regardless of immigration status, including education, emergency medical services and victim’s services.
To read the full complaint, click here.