Supreme Court denies Texas bid to protect Trump immigration rule

The Supreme Court on Monday denied a bid from 14 Republican state Attorneys General to reinstate an immigration rule barring immigrants from permanent residency if they will likely qualify for public benefits.

The ruling came in a list of orders and did not explain the court's rationale. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had led the group in asking the court to permit them to defend the rule, which the Biden administration had ended. Many would-be permanent residents enter the United States seeking more favorable economic conditions than those that exist in their home country and many of them arrive in a situation that would likely qualify them for such benefits.

The rule was already on ice after an Illinois judge struck down the measure last year, according to the Epoch Times. The Republicans had argued that the Department of Homeland Security's decision to rescind the order was improper in that it failed to offer a public comment period.

Texas, a critical border state, has been at the forefront of a major migration surge that has thus far seen roughly 4 million migrants illegally enter the U.S. since President Joe Biden took office. A record 2.4 million entered in fiscal year 2022 alone.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and his administration have moved to combat the tide of illegal migration amid the alleged absence of meaningful federal aid. Abbott, in particular, has drawn left-wing scrutiny for his high-profile tactic of bussing illegal migrants to sanctuary cities, hoping to highlight the consequences of lax border enforcement policies.

Paxton has launched multiple suits against the federal government over its suspension of the "Remain in Mexico" policy. That policy required asylum seekers to await their court date in Mexico instead of within the U.S. interior. Paxton scored a win in that case in late December after a federal judge blocked the administration from ending the program.