Greenville Leader

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has raised concerns about the Biden Administration's handling of immigration parole, accusing them of implementing an "open borders" policy. Parole, which is intended to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian needs or significant public benefit, has reportedly been abused by the current administration.

According to Senator Graham, the number of migrants paroled into the United States has dramatically increased under President Biden's leadership. Comparing the numbers to former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Graham stated, "On average, Presidents Obama and Trump paroled 5,623 people [per year]. Last year, FY22, the Biden Administration paroled 795,561 people." He further emphasized the significant difference in parole numbers, stating, "There is no way in hell they did an individual analysis on 795,561 people."

Graham expressed his belief that the Biden Administration's approach to immigration parole is illegal and predicted that they would lose in court. He criticized the blanket parole approach, stating, "This blanket parole approach, I think, is illegal. I think the Biden Administration will lose in court." Additionally, Graham accused the administration of incentivizing illegal immigration through their parole policies, stating, "To the American people, what the Biden Administration is doing is illegal. It is incentivizing illegal immigration. [Immigration parole] is the tool of choice by the Biden Administration to implement an 'open borders' policy."

Highlighting the potential national security risks of a broken border, Graham warned, "We're playing Russian roulette with the American people's national security by having a completely broken border." He expressed concern about the impact of the Biden Administration's parole policies on the country's safety.

Providing background information on parole authority by year, Senator Graham shared the following statistics:

- FY 2014: 4,043

- FY 2015: 4,598

- FY 2016: 5,387

- FY 2017: 5,722

- FY 2018: 6,446

- FY 2019: 7,525

- FY 2020: No Data Available

- FY 2021: No Data Available

- FY 2022: 795,561

- FY 2023: 802,764 (partial total, awaiting Q4 numbers)

Senator Lindsey Graham's concerns about the Biden Administration's handling of immigration parole have raised important questions about the administration's policies. The significant increase in the number of migrants paroled into the United States has sparked debates about the legality and consequences of such a move. As the issue continues to unfold, the impact on national security and the immigration system will likely be closely monitored.