U.S. Senator Josh Hawley | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemning President Biden’s plan to offer amnesty to potentially millions of illegal aliens in the United States. Earlier this month, Senator Hawley called for an investigation into the Biden Administration’s move to dismiss asylum cases and removal proceedings against more than 350,000 migrants.
“Amnesty for illegal aliens is absolutely unacceptable. It is a lure that will drive millions more illegal immigrants to flood across our southern border. It is a slap in the face to U.S. taxpayers. And it is totally unfair to immigrants who entered the U.S. legally,” wrote Senator Hawley.
He continued, “In the months to come, with Congress and the presidency in better hands, we will investigate these lawless plans for amnesty, your ongoing abuse of parole authority, and your dereliction of duty. In the meantime, you must immediately cease all plans to implement amnesty-by-parole. The American people deserve to see how your mass amnesty campaign is making this country less safe.”
Senator Hawley's letter outlines his concerns regarding recent reports suggesting that new plans are being developed to offer legal status through a "parole in place" program.
“You have made a habit of abusing the parole authority granted by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Immigration parole is narrow authority available in individualized circumstances. But in your hands, the immigration parole power has transformed into an end run around the entire U.S. immigration system,” wrote Hawley.
He criticized blanket grants of parole given to residents from multiple countries and cited specific instances where he believes parole authority was misused.
“In your hands, parole is just one thing: a get-across-the-border-free card," stated Hawley.
Senator Hawley emphasized his intention to investigate these actions further once Congress and the presidency change hands and demanded immediate cessation of what he described as "amnesty-by-parole."
The full text of Senator Hawley's letter can be found below:
June 18, 2024
The Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
Washington, D.C. 20528
Dear Secretary Mayorkas,
Amnesty for illegal aliens is absolutely unacceptable...
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator
###
Alerts Sign-up