PHOENIX (AP) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has terminated an unusual agreement signed by Arizona’s top prosecutor with the agency in the waning days of the Trump administration over President Joe Biden’s ability to change his predecessor’s immigration policy too clever, too limited.
The agency’s actions were revealed on Wednesday when Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, sued to stop newly-confirmed Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorkas to lift Biden’s 100-day deportation moratorium. to perform. A federal judge in Texas has already suspended it.
“Arizona’s law enforcement community is particularly concerned that aliens who are charged or convicted of crimes will be released as a result of the DHS moratorium for 100 days,” Brnovich said in the federal lawsuit.
He said authorities were also concerned “that the release of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic would further stress hospitals and social services at the local and provincial levels.”
After a court order last month, Brnovich temporarily barred the U.S. government from enforcing a break in the deportations. His documentation revealed that Homeland Security had canceled the immigration agreement he made with the agency, which has been quiet under state and local jurisdictions during the last weeks of the Trump administration.
Under the agreements, the jurisdiction is entitled to a consultation period of 180 days before policy changes of executive branch take effect.
It is not clear what happened to the agreements signed elsewhere. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on Wednesday, citing the pending lawsuit.
It comes the same week that a whistleblower complied with reveals that the then acting deputy secretary of the DHS, Ken Cuccinelli, also reached last-minute agreements with a union for immigration and customs enforcement workers.
The government accountability project said in a whistleblower filed Monday with Congress and two federal watchdogs that the labor agreements provide “extraordinary power and benefits” to the U.S. Federation of Government Workers ICE Council 118, which represents about 7,500 employees, and Trump in 2016 endorsed 2020.
In addition to enhanced economic benefits, the agreements give the union the power to delay changes to immigration enforcement policies and practices, according to the letter submitted by the Government Responsibility Project on behalf of an unknown federal employee.
The agreements would be in effect for eight years, unless the Department of Homeland Security disputes them by February 17, which is 30 days after Cuccinelli signed them.
“This abuse of authority is shocking,” wrote David Seide, a lawyer for the unidentified employee, noting that Cuccinelli was “extraordinarily involved.”
“Clearly, this is another example of the previous government’s attempt to bolster the legacy at the expense of taxpayers,” he said.
Cuccinelli said in an email that he did nothing wrong.
“With the advice and advice of the General Council Office, I have entered into appropriate agreements to finally address many of these previously unresolved issues,” he said. “The best basis for the complaint is, as far as I can see, that I did my job well, to the complainant’s concern.”
Biden’s leaders for domestic security have not said whether they will annul the labor agreements.
The union official who signed them, Chris Crane, did not respond to requests for comment.
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Fox reported from Washington.
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