A U.S. district judge in Texas rejected a challenge from Republican states on Friday against a Biden administration policy that sponsored thousands of immigrants each month.
Judge Drew Tipton argued that the 21 states, led by Texas, failed to prove that the program, which allows up to 30,000 immigrants a month to enter the country, caused them any injury. The states claimed the program is making them spend millions on healthcare, education, and public safety for the asylum-seekers.
“The court has before it a case in which Plaintiffs claim that they have been injured by a program that has actually lowered their out-of-pocket costs,” Tipton wrote.
The states also argued that the federal government’s authority to use parole is “exceptionally limited” and can only be applied on a case-by-case basis, but Tipton did not address that argument.
The program, which began in 2022, has admitted at least 357,000 immigrants, as of January, from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. At least 74,000 immigrants from Cuba, 138,000 people from Haiti, 58,000 from Nicaragua, and 86,000 Venezuelans have been admitted so far, according to the Associated Press.
Tipton also noted in his ruling that the number of immigrants entering the country illegally from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has decreased by as much as 44% since the start of the program.
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To be admitted through the program, immigrants are required to apply online, arrive at an airport, and have a financial sponsor in the United States. Those approved are allowed to stay for two years and get a work permit.
The ruling will likely be appealed.
