Sen. Pete Ricketts criticizes Biden for 'abuse' of immigration parole authority

Source: Omaha World Herald

Henry J. Cordes 35 mins ago

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts on Wednesday joined Republican calls to rein in President Joe Biden’s immigration parole authority, which the president used to admit more than 1 million immigrant workers into the country last year.

Federal law grants the president such parole authority if the entry furthers a humanitarian cause or offers a significant public benefit, with those granted parole typically allowed to work in the country for one or two years.

But Ricketts said Biden is abusing that authority in an “outrageous” way, saying it was intended to be used on a case-by-case basis. While former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump granted an average of 5,600 such paroles annually, Biden last year granted roughly 1.2 million.

“The parole system is supposed to be about individuals with special circumstances, it is not meant to be amnesty for those who want to come here and work,” Ricketts said in a press call with reporters. “President Biden is handing out parole like Halloween candy.”


Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/sen-pete-ricketts-criticizes-biden-for-abuse-of-immigration-parole-authority/article_6f6fed60-c07c-11ee-b99c-2bd743fcc251.html