(April 21, 2022, Washington, D.C.) — The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in response to the creation of a new humanitarian parole program for displaced Ukrainians:
"Today's announcement is yet another example of the Biden administration usurping congressional authority through an expansive and illegal use of humanitarian parole. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has continually abused the limited discretion delegated by Congress in order to run his own mass immigration and refugee program. His use of humanitarian parole, rolling Temporary Protected Status (TPS), promotion of affirmative asylum tactics, and non-existent interior immigration enforcement means that we are witnessing a lawless destruction of the nation's immigration limits and controls.
"We are a compassionate nation. The idea of granting temporary refuge to people whose country was invaded militarily by a malevolent expansionist neighbor is the right thing to do, but it must be done lawfully. Statute requires that parole be used temporarily, on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons. In this case, humanitarian parole is being used to ignore immigration caps that Congress established in order to move hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals into the United States. By any stretch of the imagination, when the entire picture is considered, the United States has over the last two years done more than its fair share of worldwide immigrant/refugee admissions.
"The Biden administration and lawmakers in both parties also continue to improperly frame the plight of displaced Ukrainians. The fact is this: Nearly all Ukrainian refugees are already being properly assisted in the region, and there are plenty of ways for us to assist with aid to ease the suffering, maintain stability, and ensure that they can easily return home once the conflict subsides.
"In early March, the European Union generously granted three-year residency to all Ukrainian refugees to live, work, and access health care in 27 of the world's most secure and developed countries. Why not assist this effort rather than ignoring our own laws to give them another option halfway around the world?"
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