WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senator Mike Lee of Utah are again inquiring about the abuse of an immigration law loophole that allows unauthorized immigrants to obtain a green card and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. The two senators previously wrote to the Obama administration on this issue in March 2016.
The loophole in question grew out of the Obama administration’s abuse of its parole authority, which Congress created to allow non-visa holders temporary admission into the country on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian purposes or instances of significant public benefit. Under this scheme, however, the Obama administration granted ‘advance parole’ to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, allowing them to leave the country and return legally. When an unauthorized immigrant lawfully returns through advance parole, he or she can become eligible for a green card—opening the door to citizenship.
In their letter to Acting Director James McCament of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Grassley and Lee seek information on the number of people who have benefitted from this loophole and the scope of the abuse.
Full text of Grassley’s and Lee’s letter follows.
The senators’ March 2016 letter to the Obama administration can be found here.
