“Each of the parents seeks to reunite with their children or remain together through the CAM Program,” the statement continued. “The families include long-time residents of Texas and Florida who are active members of their communities.”
Among them is a Salvadoran mom and Temporary Protected Status beneficiary referred to only as “Jésus” for her own safety. She followed the guidelines, had her paperwork processed and initially approved, and had purchased a plane ticket for her son when the previous administration terminated the policy in 2017. In reinstating CAM, the Biden administration said it would prioritize applications that had been closed when the policy was terminated.
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But the Paxton-led lawsuit filed this past January seeks to keep this family separated—and keep thousands of other vulnerable kids in harm’s way. Fifteen states total are seeking to endanger kids, including Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, and Oklahoma.
“I have waited so long for my son to come to the United States, and I am losing hope,” Jésus said. “My greatest fear is that the U.S. government will cancel the CAM program again just like last time, and that, at the very last minute, my son will be prevented from joining me here in the United States.”
She said she hopes she can be a part of this lawsuit not only so she can reunite with her child, but “so that other families who are eligible for the program can do the same.”
“Family reunification is a cornerstone of American immigration policy and a value that transcends political lines,” said IRAP Senior Supervising Attorney Linda Evarts. “The families represented by IRAP have already suffered tremendously as a result of the prior termination of the CAM program. They ask for the chance to be heard in court and to defend this program, so they can safely reunite with their loved ones in the United States.”
Paxton is targeting these children and their families when he’s got a pretty full personal plate, facing up to a 99-year sentence if convicted of felony fraud charges. He has yet to go to trial after more than five years thanks to the successful series of delays and road bumps he’s managed to engineer.
In the meantime, he’s been using conservative courts to upend President Biden’s immigration agenda, including forcing the reinstatement of the previous administration’s inhumane Remain in Mexico policy. He’s hoping CAM sees the same fate. However, it appears that in an extremely lucky draw, the case has not been assigned to one of Paxton’s preferred right-wing judges. But a possible short-term defeat won’t be enough to stop Paxton and GOP states when they know they have the highest court in the land on their side.
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