Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis, has expressed his determination to challenge what he perceives as the unlawful use of parole authority by the Biden administration.
This authority has reportedly been used to permit tens of thousands of illegal migrants to enter the U.S. each month. A recent report has identified Miami as a primary destination for these migrants.
DeSantis stated on Wednesday, "Its an illegal program. Theyre bringing people in who dont have a right to be in this country from foreign countries." The Governor's administration pointed to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies. This study, based on Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, found that migrants admitted to the U.S. via the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) were predominantly flying to Miami. The study reported that over 326,000 migrants have arrived via Miami to date.
Florida's Attorney General, Ashley Moody, commented on Tuesday, "This is but one of the many examples of how Bidens egregious and unlawful immigration policies are disproportionately taxing the resources of certain states." She added, "As with Bidens other unlawful policies, we will continue to fight the CHNV program in court."
The parole policy was first introduced for Venezuelans in October 2022. It allowed a limited number of individuals to fly or travel directly into the U.S., provided they had not entered illegally, had a sponsor in the U.S., and passed certain biometric and biographical vetting. The program does not facilitate flights, and migrants are responsible for their own travel arrangements.
In January 2023, the administration announced the expansion of the program to include Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Cubans. The program now permits up to 30,000 people per month to enter the U.S. It provides migrants with work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S. By the end of February 2024, over 386,000 nationals have arrived under the parole program, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The program has been part of the administrations strategy to create "lawful pathways" for migration, as it seeks to curb illegal crossings at the southern border amid a record surge.
However, the program's announcement was met with a lawsuit by 20 states. They argued that the program exceeds the limited power for use of parole, which Congress allows only on a "case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit." The states contended that the program "amounts to the creation of a new visa program that allows hundreds of thousands of aliens to enter the United States who otherwise have no basis for doing so."
Bryan Griffin, DeSantis' communications director, said, "The federal government is encouraging illegal immigration and even aiding these individuals to enter the country. Theyve cloaked these secretive flights as a lawful parole program."
The lawsuit was recently dismissed by a U.S. district judge, but the states have appealed. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the program, stating that the processes are a "safe and orderly way to reach the United States" and have led to a reduction in numbers of those nationalities.
Mayorkas said, "It is a key element of our efforts to address the unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere, and other countries around the world see it as a model to tackle the challenge of increased irregular migration that they too are experiencing."
A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, "The CHNV parole processes are public; claims of a secret program are false."
The program came under further scrutiny last month when it was revealed that a Haitian migrant, now charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Massachusetts, had been flown in via the CHNV program.
DeSantis said, "That is something that would have been prevented if theyd just followed the law."
Despite the program being public, announced in a press conference in January 2023, and with monthly data published each month, DeSantis and others have described the program as secret because states are not made aware of who is arriving.
DeSantis said on Wednesday, "It is secret because theyre not telling anybody, they dont tell us anytime someone comes in."
The case forms one of several legal battles over parole. It has so far shut down two parole policies at the U.S. southern border. Those policies, called "Parole + Alternatives to Detention" and "Parole with conditions," were in place at the southern border to allow migrants to be released into the U.S., and both are on hold pending further litigation in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Florida has also joined another lawsuit challenging parole releases using the CBP One app at the southern border. The app is used as part of the CHNV program and also to parole up to 1,450 migrants a day at ports of entry.
DeSantis said, "Weve been after them on this parole for a long time, weve actually won in court, and its our hope were going to be able to get that shut down."
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