Attorney General Bailey Files Suit Against Biden Administration's Unlawful Open-Border Policies

Jun 1, 2023, 14:33 PM by AG Bailey

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey joined an 18 state coalition in filing suit against the Biden Administration for its proposed new "Circumvention of Lawful Pathways" rule which fails to mitigate the en masse illegal immigration occurring at the southern border.

"The situation at the southern border is out of control, all thanks to Joe Biden," said Attorney General Bailey. "He refuses to carry out his constitutionally mandated responsibilities, so we're taking him to court to force him to do his job."

The federal government has characterized the new rule as a means for continuing to regulate immigration since the expiration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Title 42 public health order. That policy gave authorities greater ability to bar illegal immigrants from crossing the border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In reality, however, the new rule just worsens the problem by redefining previously illegal border crossings as "lawful pathways."

"In the midst of the worst border crisis in our nation's history, the Defendants are attempting to implement a final rule that will further degrade our nation's border security and make it even easier to illegally immigrate into the United States," state the attorneys general.

The states assert that Biden's new rule "would allow vast numbers of aliens to enter the country and receive instant work authorization and quick access to public benefits. These aliens, who previously would have had to cross the border illegally, will still lack lawful status in the United States (though with a false imprimatur of legality, thanks to the Biden Administration's unlawful procedures), and the States will still be forced to bear the cost of their presence."

In addition to Missouri, the lawsuit is also joined by Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

The lawsuit can be read here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/lawful-pathways-filed-complaint.pdf?sfvrsn=f7a3f46f_2

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