Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti celebrated U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker’s ruling on Monday to halt the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new program allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are the spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen to “parole in place” from taking effect.
Barker’s ruling comes just three days after 16 state attorneys general and America First Legal filed a 56-page complaint challenging DHS’ “Keeping Families Together” program, which began accepting applications last week.
🚨Another win for Tennessee!
A US District Court Judge for the Eastern District of TX has halted the Biden Administration's new, unconstitutional 'parole-in-place' rule.
TN is proud to be part of this win alongside TX and 13 other states!
➡️https://t.co/OpwwmQzulw pic.twitter.com/EuNBt2agwG
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) August 27, 2024
DHS’ program would allow approximately 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen to parole in place if all who were eligible were to apply.
In their complaint filed in the Eastern District of Texas U.S. District Court, the plaintiffs argue that the program will “create a perception among potential migrants that illegally entering the United States will result in eventual amnesty and, therefore, whether the policy is exacerbating the border crisis.”
In his nine-page ruling on Monday, Judge Barker granted the plaintiffs’ request for the program to be put on hold while the lawsuit moves through the legal system.
In addition, the judge’s order also set an expedited schedule for the completion of the case.
“[Tennessee] is proud to be part of this win alongside [Texas] and 13 other states,” Skrmetti said following Monday’s ruling.
In the original complaint, plaintiffs pointed out how data provided by the Migration Policy Institute shows that there are estimated to be 12,000 illegal aliens who are married to U.S. citizens and who would be eligible to apply for DHS’ program in the state of Tennessee.
“The [Parole in Place] Program will incentivize increased illegal immigration into the State. As the number of paroled and illegal aliens in Tennessee increases, the number of aliens receiving such services likewise increases, and so too the burden on the public increases,” the lawsuit reads in regards to the effect DHS’ program would be estimated to have on the Volunteer State.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Jonathan Skrmetti” by Tennessee Attorney General.
