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A group of Republican-led states has sued the Biden administration on Thursday on a controversial immigration rule that even has Democrats opposing the President. The rule would speed up asylum claims along the Mexico border. 

It is the latest attempt by conservatives to prevent the further weakening of the nation’s immigration laws that were strengthened under Donald Trump.

“That Rule eviscerates crucial safeguards to our nation’s immigration system and flouts clear statutory commands enacted by Congress,” the states say in the lawsuit Arizona vs Garland, claiming it “makes it substantially easier for unauthorized economic migrants to enter the United States and obtain asylum through false claims.” 

According to Fox News, the rule would mean that those migrants who claim they have a credible fear of being returned to their home country would have an interview with an immigration officer who would determine whether they be granted asylum or referred to a judge for removal proceedings. They would be paroled into the U.S. – which is allowed only for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit” – for that process.

While the Biden administration is claiming that their new rule could drastically shorten the time to resolve asylum cases including invalid claims, critics say the new system will only encourage more migrants to come to the border.

This rule has had growing opposition in Congress not just from Republicans but also from Democrats as well. 

This is despite open border advocates warning the Democrats of the midterm election risks from their base if Biden’s new immigration rules are not implemented. 

“Democrats don’t really have anything to gain… [a]nd they’re not going to get credit from Republicans for doing so,” Bri Gillis, political director at the National Immigration Law Center, told NPR.

Do you think Republicans can stop Biden from weakening our nation’s immigration laws?