FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an amicus brief filed last week, eleven directly impacted individuals and Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) members represented by Justice Action Center (JAC) and Make the Road New York (MRNY) urged the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to consider the perspectives of families who stand to benefit from President Biden’s Keeping Families Together (KFT) parole process and will be affected by the outcome of Texas v. DHS. The JAC and MRNY amicus brief also presents evidence from experts that shows why Texas does not have the legal right to file this lawsuit in the first place, as they cannot establish any harm to the state caused by Keeping Families Together parole. As amici, JAC and MRNY have been granted time to argue in court in defense of Keeping Families Together on behalf of their clients during a bench trial scheduled by the district court on November 5, Election Day.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has also led a coalition of 19 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Keeping Families Together, arguing that the process advances family unity, a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy, and should be upheld. Additional briefs filed by the National Immigration Law Center on behalf of Americans Families United and by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, also presented arguments supporting the Keeping Families Together process.
Keeping Families Together parole would allow certain undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens to seek permanent residence without risking prolonged family separation, as the current process requires. The district court ordered an unlawful stay on grants of parole under Keeping Families Together in August and extended it to November 8, blocking thousands of eligible families from accessing parole for months.
“While there have been setbacks during the court’s proceedings, they have not deterred us from seeking a path forward,” said Oscar Silva, who is one of the amici represented by JAC and MRNY in Texas v. DHS. “We remain hopeful and committed to families like ours, who want the opportunity to stay together and realize their dreams for the future.”
“Our clients have remained steadfast in their belief that families at the heart of this case deserve to have their voices heard in the courtroom and beyond,” said Laura Flores-Perilla, Attorney with Justice Action Center, who will be arguing at the bench trial on November 5. “This step forward of finally getting a day in court is only possible because of their relentless tenacity. They knocked on every legal door until one opened. We look forward to representing their perspectives and the immeasurable benefits of Keeping Families Together in court.”
“Our clients’ experiences and perspectives are inseparable from this case, and should be at the center of this court’s proceedings where they rightfully belong,” said Harold A. Solis, Co-Legal Director for Make The Road New York. “We are grateful to fight alongside them as they seek to defend basic human values of family unity, justice and freedom. We urge the court to carefully consider each of their stories as they determine the fate of this process.”
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S.
Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. We have 27,000+ members and operate five community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island; and White Plains, Westchester County.