Boise, ID – Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined an amicus brief led by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in the case of Florida v. Mayorkas, supporting the State of Florida’s lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s unlawful immigration policy, creating a dangerous crisis at our southern border. Rather than detaining illegal immigrants as the law requires, the Biden Administration has released those encountered at the border into the United States. This policy flagrantly violates federal immigration law and encourages immigrants to try and cross the border illegally, hoping to be released into the interior.

Since taking office, President Biden has seen an illegal immigration explosion of more than 5.5 million, larger than the population of 28 states. The Administration has released more than a million immigrants it encountered at the border into the interior. The Administration’s policy of “catch and release” rather than detaining them has not only encouraged more illegal immigration, but also dangerous criminal activity like fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking, both of which have exacted a terrible toll on this country.

“The Biden Administration flagrantly ignores federal immigration law. Despite the president’s constitutional duty to defend our homeland, the executive branch has abandoned its responsibility to protect our borders. Moreover, laws enacted by the United States Congress must be enforced by the executive. The State of Idaho strongly supports Florida’s quest to compel the Biden Administration to act,” Attorney General Labrador said.

Attorney General Miyares’ brief was joined by the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.