Palmetto State News

Attorney General Alan Wilson has achieved a significant legal victory by securing a permanent block on the Biden-Harris administration's "parole in place" policy. This policy aimed to provide a path to citizenship for over one million illegal immigrants who have not met congressional requirements.

"This is one of the many Biden-Harris administration policies we’ve fought because they tried to do something they don’t have the authority to do," stated Attorney General Wilson. "This plan was unlawful, and it would have rewarded more than one million illegal immigrants with citizenship and given millions more an incentive to come here illegally. Parole in place has no place under the law."

The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was initiated on August 23 by Attorney General Wilson, alongside a coalition of 16 states led by Texas and co-counsel America First Legal. The new policy intended to grant "parole in place" status, allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to gain permanent residency and eventual U.S. citizenship without leaving the United States.

Under current federal law, immigrants unlawfully present must leave the country and apply for legal permanent resident status at an embassy or consulate in their home countries. However, DHS announced plans permitting 1.3 million immigrants to apply for residency without returning home first.

On August 27, Attorney General Wilson and his coalition obtained a temporary stay while litigation proceeded, culminating in a final order that permanently vacated the rule. The federal district court determined that the Biden-Harris administration lacked statutory authority for such actions and prohibited enforcement of this rule.