Since January 2021, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has brought a series of lawsuits against the Biden Administration over the crisis at the border. In the latest legal battle, Paxton and the state of Louisiana sued the Biden Administration over their procedures of deporting undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. Due to a recent change in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement procedures, local and state law enforcement have been releasing these undocumented criminals back into the public instead of being taken into custody. In the lawsuit, Paxton claims that Biden’s orders have also violated the immigrants’ constitutional rights in his state.
“The January 20 Memorandum and the February 18 Memorandum are unlawful because they violate 8 U.S.C & 1226. This mandatory duty to take criminal aliens into custody applies to those completing their sentences for crimes relating to controlled substances, those involving moral turpitude, and others,” the lawsuit reads.
Paxton previously sued Biden over a 100-day deportation moratorium, before a federal judge agreed that they would block the ban. It was a clear violation of federal immigration law and failed to defend one of the largest sections of the southern border in the nation. The Biden Administration then ordered a review of the ICE enforcement policies and reprioritized the deportation of people who posed a threat to national security, border security, and public safety. Under Obama and Trump’s former administrations, anyone who’d entered the country illegally was a priority target for deportation.
The American Civil Liberties Union, however, urged the Biden Administration to end detainer requests altogether. This means that the ICE would refuse to take custody of immigrants with criminal records and focus, instead, on people who are a national security threat or convicted of aggravated felonies, like murder. Those with drug offenses and crimes involving “moral turpitude” would be ignored and could roam free. While this has led the department to drop dozens of detainer requests and fail to issue new ones, Paxton argues that it comes at an enormous cost to Texas communities.
“President Biden’s outright refusal to enforce the law is exacerbating an unprecedented border crisis. By failing to take custody of criminal aliens and giving no explanation for this reckless policy change, the Biden Administration is demonstrating a blatant disregard for Texans’ and Americans’ safety. Law and order must be immediately upheld and enforced to ensure the safety of our communities. Dangerous and violent illegal aliens must be removed from our communities as required by federal law,” Paxton said in a press release.
The Biden Administration continues to prioritize millions of illegal immigrants, while promising citizenship and free health care in exchange for one thing – a vote.
