Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by the state of Louisiana, sued the Biden administration over the president’s executive orders directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release convicted criminal illegal aliens into the United States.
In the lawsuit filed in district court, Paxton argues ICE is violating federal law by releasing “dangerous illegal aliens already convicted of felony offenses” into the United States after the Biden administration issued memos making it more difficult for migrants who are not a “national security threat or criminal offender with an aggravated felony conviction” to be issued detainer requests ordering their deportation. This change, the lawsuit states, is the direct result of a “broader shift in federal policy that began on the first day of the Biden Administration and has resulted in a ‘crisis on the border.’”
“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,” the Republican said in a press release on Tuesday. “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.”
While the policy before Biden exercised executive power stated that ICE could send the Texas Department of Criminal Justice detainer requests ordering criminal aliens to be deported upon their release, the new directive pushes ICE to cut back on detainer requests and forces the state criminal justice department to “release criminals into the community or continue housing them at the expense of Texas taxpayers.”
“These imminent and irreparable harms have forced Texas to seek relief in this Court,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit is the second legal matter concerning the border crisis brought against the president and his administration since he assumed office. Just days after Biden was inaugurated, Texas sued the administration for halting deportations for at least 100 days. A federal judge later temporarily blocked the directive.
