The Biden administration is facing a lawsuit and criticism over his recently enacted border policies

Twenty Republican-controlled states filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge in Texas to halt President Biden’s recently announced humanitarian parole program for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. legally if they have eligible sponsors in the country. The states allege that this new policy illegally expands the powers the federal government has to parole migrants, stating that the authority to offer parole can only be used in extraordinary circumstances. The lawsuit also states that the program is unlawful because the administration did not allow for public comment before being implemented.

Meanwhile, 77 democratic Senators and Representatives wrote a letter criticizing the administration for restricting migrants’ access to asylum, saying the policies undermine U.S. asylum law. "We believe that your administration can and must continue to expand legal pathways for migrants and refugees into the United States — without further dismantling the right to seek asylum at our border," the lawmakers wrote. "This right is a pillar of the post-war international order to which the United States has committed itself." The lawmakers praised the President’s sponsorship program but said the administration’s decision to expand Title 42 to migrants from the four countries and the proposal to disqualify migrants from asylum if they do not first seek refuge in third countries on their way to the U.S. are reminiscent of Trump-era policies that have been criticized by immigration advocates and democratic lawmakers.

Asylum seekers file a lawsuit over November data leak

Twenty-one migrants are suing the federal government for accidentally posting their personal information on the ICE website last November. Some of the migrants have been released from custody but others remain in detention. Their lawyers state that the leak places individuals from a variety of countries who were fleeing persecution at risk of harm. The asylum seekers are asking for a halt to their removal from the U.S., re-adjudication of their cases, and monetary damages.