In a fresh legal challenge against the Biden administration’s immigration policies, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is spearheading an 18-state lawsuit to contest the newly proposed “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule.
Rokita has termed the proposed legislation “a sham and a smoke screen” and a part of “the federal government’s recent reckless and unlawful coddling of illegal immigrants.”
Unmasking what he calls “a truly Orwellian twist,” Rokita lambasted the federal government, stating: “In a truly Orwellian twist, the federal government has depicted this latest measure as a tool for reducing illegal immigration.”
He further claimed that “this new rule would make it even easier to illegally immigrate into the United States — and everyday Hoosiers right here in Indiana would pay the price.”
The 18-state lawsuit comes in response to the proposed new rule, which was introduced following the expiration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Title 42 public health order.
The CDC order had equipped authorities with greater power to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new rule, however, Rokita argues, aims to “define the problem away by re-characterizing border crossings as ‘lawful pathways’ that previously would have been illegal.”
Rokita’s concerns stem from the escalating numbers of border crossings, stating, “We’re now seeing more than 10,000 illegal border crossings occurring within some 24-hour periods.”
He further claimed, “These are the highest numbers ever, and a large portion of these people are hardened criminals and cartel members. We cannot long endure this kind of invasion.”
In the press release, Attorney General Rokita expressed his gratitude to the states joining the lawsuit to challenge what he termed as “this egregious violation of existing U.S. law”.
Rokita also acknowledged the hard work of his own team in preparing the lawsuit, extending his thanks to Betsy DeNardi, Director of Complex Litigation, and Corrine Youngs, Policy Director and Legislative Counsel.
He praised their efforts in organizing the multistate coalition and filing the lawsuit.
