A federal judge on March 8 ordered the Biden administration to end its policy of using parole to expedite the release of illegal aliens caught entering the U.S. through the southern border.
In a 109-page opinion, Judge T. Kent Wetherell II sided with the state of Florida, which brought legal action over the administration’s border and immigration policies.
As detailed in Judge Wenthrell II’s order:
the Biden administration has “effectively turned the southwest border into a meaningless line in the sand and little more than a speed bump for aliens flooding to the country by prioritizing ‘alternatives to detention’ over actual detention and by releasing more than a million aliens into the country — on ‘parole’ or pursuant to the exercise of ‘prosecutorial discretion’ under a wholly inapplicable statute — without even initiating removal proceedings.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the case in 2021 after uncovering what the AG’s office says were deliberate actions to weaken U.S. border security. Moody hails yesterday’s ruling by the federal court as a win for the rule of law.
“Today’s ruling affirms what we have known all along, President Biden is responsible for the border crisis and his unlawful immigration policies make this country less safe,” Moody said in a written statement. “A federal judge is now ordering Biden to follow the law, and his administration should immediately begin securing the border to protect the American people.”
Through the discovery process, Florida prosecutors uncovered four pieces of evidence they say chronicle the federal government’s willful disregard for border security laws:
- A deposition of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz showing the Biden administration purposely reduced detention capacity of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and narrowed removal pathways.
- A memo outlining the federal government’s plan for the mass-release of migrants if Title 42 were to expire.
- Testimony of an immigration official confirming the Biden administration knew its policy priorities would cut enforcement in half and still implemented them.
- Videos showing federal immigration enforcement officials discussing the logistical problems created when federal authorities intentionally released tens of thousands of immigrants without charging documents.
“Biden’s willingness to hide evidence and lie to the American people about the border crisis he created is deeply concerning,” Moody told The Florida Standard. “The records we obtained through our aggressive litigation efforts prove the Biden administration knew – as early as eight days after taking office – its destructive immigration policies were creating a colossal public safety crisis.”
The court’s order won’t take effect for a week to give the federal government time to appeal the decision.
