CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a coalition of 27 attorneys general in a legal filing demanding President Biden fix unlawful immigration policies and secure the border.
The AGs say the Biden administration’s "intentional dismantling" of border security has resulted in more than seven million inadmissible immigrants surging across the border.
Despite a court victory earlier this year against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s catch-and-release policies, the AGs say the agency continues to release inadmissible immigrants into the country. The coalition is demanding that DHS amend its policies to prohibit the mass release of inadmissible immigrants into the U.S.
Morrisey
“This administration’s callous open-border policy is endangering the lives of millions of Americans, it’s a matter of national security,” Morrisey said. “Here you have the fentanyl coming from China and being pedaled through the southern border, human trafficking, and the potential of terrorists infiltrating the country.”
“There’s no excuse for the lack of security. American lives are at stake.”
On October 10, the coalition of AGs – led by Florida AG Ashley Moody – submitted a Petition for Rulemaking to amend the DHS’s catch-and-release policies, stating that the policies are "blatantly unlawful and have horrendous effects on the security of our country."
In addition to releasing inadmissible immigrants into the U.S., the AGs say the DHS is giving the migrants released a court date many years in the future. DHS’s unlawful decisions are allowing millions of unauthorized immigrants to remain in the U.S. for 15 years or longer before ever approaching a judge’s bench.
The coalition is urging DHS to amend its regulations to expressly prohibit the unlawful releases.
Morrisey joined the Florida-led petition with Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.