PHOENIX (AP) – The United States Department of Homeland Security has rescinded an unusual deal that Arizona’s top prosecutor signed with the agency in the last days of the Trump administration to try to restrict President Joe Biden’s ability to review his immigration policies. predecessor.
The agency’s action was revealed on Wednesday when Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, sued to prevent newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from carrying out Biden’s 100-day moratorium on deportations. . A Texas federal judge has already suspended him.
“The Arizona police community is particularly concerned that foreigners who have been charged or convicted of crimes are released as a result of the DHS 100-day moratorium,” said Brnovich in the federal lawsuit.
He said the authorities also fear “that the release of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic will further burden hospitals and social services at the local and municipal levels”.
Brnovich filed a lawsuit after a court order last month temporarily banned the United States government from imposing a pause on deportations. His lawsuit revealed that Homeland Security canceled his immigration deal with the agency, which was among at least nine signed discreetly with state and local jurisdictions during the final weeks of the Trump administration.
The agreements say jurisdictions are entitled to a 180-day consultation period before changes to Executive policies take effect.
It is unclear what happened to the agreements signed elsewhere. The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday declined to comment, citing the pending dispute.
That same week, a complainant complained that DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli had also reached last-minute deals with a union of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The Government Accountability Project said in a denunciation complaint filed on Monday with Congress and two federal inspectors that the labor agreements grant “extraordinary powers and benefits” to the 118th Council of the American Federation of Government Officials, which represents about 7,500 employees and endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020.
In addition to greater economic benefits, the agreements give the union the power to delay changes in immigration policies and practices, according to the letter that the Government Accountability Project submitted on behalf of an undisclosed federal official.
The agreements would remain in effect for eight years, unless Homeland Security decided to challenge them until February 17, 30 days after Cuccinelli’s signature.
“This abuse of authority is shocking,” wrote David Seide, an attorney for the unidentified employee, noting Cuccinelli’s “extraordinary involvement”.
“Of course, they are another example of the previous government’s effort in its final hours to cement a legacy at the taxpayer’s expense,” he said.
Cuccinelli said in an e-mail that he did nothing wrong.
“With the advice and advice from the Office of the General Council, I signed the appropriate agreements to finally resolve many of these previously unresolved issues,” he said. “The best I can say is that the main basis for the complaint is that I did my job well, much to the complainant’s dismay.”
Biden’s Homeland Security leaders have not said whether they will move to overturn 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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