Republican congressional members in Texas are calling on Attorney General Ken Paxton to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration in an attempt to block undocumented immigrants positive for COVID-19 from entering the United States.
This is what happens when Biden Admin signals the border is effectively open – a 20-yr record surge and humanitarian crisis https://t.co/z1CfL5rwCU
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2021
On Monday, there were 20 Texas lawmakers that wrote a letter to Paxton, urging him to end the ongoing “crisis” at the southern border due to the influx of illegal migrants. In the letter, the lawmakers are urging the Attorney General to end the crisis by filing a lawsuit to ensure that the people caught at the southern border are turned away.
The lawmakers wrote to Paxton, “We write to urge you to protect the American people from a crisis at our southern border, which was manufactured by the Biden Administration and has led to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants entering our nation.” They continued, “These immigrants have not been tested for COVID-19 and pose an incredible threat to the health and safety of the American people.”
Paxton previously filed a lawsuit against the current administration during Biden’s first week in office. The lawsuit was made in an effort to stop a 100-day moratorium on most deportations for unauthorized immigrants currently inside the United States. A federal judge from Texas sided with Paxton in February and blocked Biden from going ahead with the deportation pause.
It’s time to fight back against the #BidenBorderCrisis that threatens our state & our people. My Texas Republican colleagues and I urged AG Paxton to sue the Biden Administration to require them to enforce closure of the border under #Title42 protections. https://t.co/hZ80JLGZfj
— Beth Van Duyne (@Bethvanduyne) March 16, 2021
At present, the lawmakers led by Representative Beth Van Duyne is urging Paxton to file another lawsuit to address the surge of migrants coming to the Southern Border seeking entry.
Since Biden took office, the number of family units and unaccompanied children coming to the border have spiked. The number of unaccompanied children has also tripled in recent weeks with over 100,000 migrants last Month.
Meanwhile, critics have blamed the Biden administration for the surge of migrants at the border. According to them, this sudden influx is due to liberalizing of immigration policies and reversal of Trump-era border proctection, encouragin the flow and removal of tools that previously kept migrants out of the border or returned to their home countries.
In January, Trump went down to the border to warn Biden not to reverse his policies
“At this moment, smugglers and coyotes are preparing to surge the border if our policies are loosened or removed”
“This is an entirely preventable tragedy— it’s waiting to happen” pic.twitter.com/6jaWhgYazs
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) March 16, 2021
As a result, the Biden administration has been struggling to deal with the surge of migrants, unaccompanied children in particular with officials trying to expand the capacity of places to house and transfer them.
However, despite the current situation at the border, the Biden administration has refused to label it a “crisis.” They also haven’t formally rescinded Title 42 yet which Trump had in place.
On Monday, a White House spokesperson told Fox Nes, “The position of the Administration continues to be that now is the not the time to come and the vast majority of individuals will continue to be turned away under Title 42.”
The letter sent by lawmakers to Paxton makers the latest back and forth between Texas lawmakers and the Biden administration over immigration and COVID-19.
Sen. @JohnCornyn on the border: "The Biden administration didn't inherit this mess; it helped create it. President Biden campaigned on the basis of policies that would lead to this very outcome." pic.twitter.com/gKEulifHOB
— The Hill (@thehill) March 16, 2021
Texas Governor Greg Abbott had already accused the Biden administration of releasing COVID-19 positive migrants into Texas. He also suggested that the surge of people is to blame for the increasing spread of Coronavirus in the state.
Texas lawmakers also blames Biden of the surge of migrants stating that the border crisis is “manufactured” by Biden and that it is a danger to public health.
The lawmakers said in the letter, “Texas and other border states are desperately trying to ensure that their economies are returning to normal, Americans are back to work and the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Texas continue to drop.” They continued, “We cannot allow these advances to be undermined by an unknown number of COVID-19 cases pouring across the southern border.”
