New York AG James: Biden’s orders address issues state had sued over

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden’s first day in office was a busy one as he signed several executive orders that countermanded policies from the Trump Administration. Those orders allowed New York Attorney General Letitia James to breathe “a sigh of relief” as they impacted lawsuits the state has filed over the last two years.

In a statement, James said her office filed 76 lawsuits against the former administration over such issues as the 2020 Census, immigration policies and protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Today, we can all breathe a sigh of relief now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been sworn in as president and vice president of the United States,” James said. “Within hours of taking the oath of office, President Biden showed decisive leadership and took action to protect young Dreamers, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and millions of others across the United States.”

In July, James and leaders from other state and local governments filed a lawsuit to keep the Trump Administration from enacting a policy that would have disregarded undocumented immigrants from the count used to determine Congressional seat allocations.

The Supreme Court said in an unsigned opinion last month it was too early for the court to issue a ruling.

“At no point since our Nation’s Founding has a person’s immigration status alone served as a basis for excluding that person from the total population count used in apportionment,” Biden’s order read.

The president also signed an order that reinstates an Obama Administration policy to defer removal of some undocumented immigrants who arrived illegally. Known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, the order allows those who have not committed crimes and either remained in school or joined the military to seek work permits.

The order stated that DACA reflects a “humanitarian” policy and gives those individuals a chance to work and support the economy during their time in the country.

In addition, Biden also signed an order that prohibits sex discrimination because of gender identity or sexual orientation.

In a statement, the New York Legal Assistance Group said the new orders reverse some of the damage caused by the Trump Administration.

“From onerous immigration policy changes, to the ban of transgender people serving in the military, to the heart-wrenching separation of immigrant children from their families, to proposed cuts to lifesaving public benefits, the impact on our clients has been overwhelming,” NYLAG President & Attorney-in-Charge Beth Goldman said.

However, the Federation for American Immigration Reform raised concerns that Biden’s immigration policies would cause harm.

“The executive orders he signed and the legislation he is rolling out, will not only reward everyone who has violated our immigration laws in the past, but will induce millions more people to come to the United States illegally, regardless of health concerns, the welfare of American workers, or the fiscal capacity of governments at all levels to deal with massive numbers of new arrivals,” FAIR President Dan Stein said.

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