On Thursday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined a coalition of 18 state attorneys general in sending a letter to President Joseph Biden expressing opposition to the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) measure for certain Palestinians under the February 14, 2024 Presidential Memorandum.

“Despite being in the midst of a well-publicized immigration crisis caused by President Biden's disastrous policies, Biden continues to push for an even more open border,” Attorney General Marshall said. “Currently, he is refusing to deport Palestinians who are in the United States illegally and granting them automatic release from the Department of Homeland Security. Despite the vast majority of Americans wanting to secure the border and deport illegal immigrants, President Biden doesn't care. He continues to grant illegal amnesty and prioritize the demands of extremist activists over the needs of the American people.”

Last November, a series of anti-American and anti-Israel protests on university campuses rocked the country.

In response to the crisis, a group of state attorneys general have urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rigorously screen foreign student visa holders and remove those who have supported or advocated for terrorist activity or provided material support to foreign terrorists.

Instead of addressing the growing terrorist threat, President Biden has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop deporting certain Palestinians who are in the country illegally. A coalition of state attorneys general believes this is a mistake and is calling on President Biden to revoke this latest mass amnesty.

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Through the Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress created several tools for executive branch agencies to protect aliens whose lives or freedoms would be threatened if they were returned to their home countries. Congress mandated DHS to enforce these laws, and the Supreme Court has allowed DHS to exercise “prosecutorial discretion” in doing so. But the Attorney General argues that DED has no legal basis.

The letter was led by Arkansas and signed by Attorney General Marshall and the attorneys general of Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Since October 7, the world has witnessed the worst atrocities committed against Jewish people since the Holocaust and a 'devastating increase' in anti-Semitic activity on American college campuses,” the attorneys general wrote.

“We strongly urge you to reverse the recently announced decision to postpone the removal of certain Palestinians from the United States,” the attorneys general wrote.

Steve Marshall was appointed Attorney General by former Governor Robert Bentley in 2017. He was elected to his own term in 2018 and is up for reelection in 2022. He is term limited and cannot run for Attorney General again in 2026.

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