Illegal immigrants request to defend Biden administration's 'parole in place' program

In order to qualify for the program, the immigrant must have been in the United States for at least 10 years, have no disqualifying criminal history, and have been married to the U.S. citizen by June 17.

By Misty Severi

Published: August 26, 2024 5:22pm

A group of illegal immigrants on Monday filed a motion to join the federal government in defending the Biden administration's "parole in place" program from a lawsuit brought by Republican states.

The coalition of 16 conservative states sued the administration on Friday, claiming that the program, which would create a pathway to citizenship for thousands of illegal immigrants, illegally bypassed Congress in order to create the pathway for "political purposes."

Now six illegal immigrants, along with their spouses who are U.S. citizens, are hoping to intervene and testify about why the program benefits their families and should be legal. The Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights also joined the motion.

“It’s just absurd to me why Texas would bring a lawsuit that would literally tear my family apart,” Foday Turay, one of the illegal immigrants, told NBC News. “I’ve been waiting for over a decade for a program like this. Living in a country where you’ve been paying taxes for years, and yet you have to face the constant fear of being torn from your family and your community — when is that fear going to stop?”

The program, which was launched last week, allows spouses of American citizens to stay in the country legally and apply for a green card. In order to qualify for the program, the immigrant must have been in the United States for at least 10 years, have no disqualifying criminal history, and have been married to the U.S. citizen by June 17.

Illegal immigrants can already marry an American citizen and apply for a green card, but they usually have to leave the country first, and the process can take years. The new program eliminates the need to leave the U.S.

The motion, along with the main case, will be heard by Texas Judge J. Campbell Barker.

Texas is leading the states that are suing the administration, but other states in the suit include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.