A Maryland Federal Judge, on Friday Sept. 11th, Ruled that Chad Wolf is likely Unlawfully Serving as Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Temporarily barred the Trump Administration from Enforcing New Asylum Restrictions on Members of Two Immigration Advocacy Groups, according to Court Documents.
"In sum, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs are likely to demonstrate (former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan's Appointment) was invalid under the agency's applicable order of succession, and so he lacked the authority to amend the order of succession to ensure Wolf's installation as Acting Secretary," Judge, Paula Xinis' 69-page Ruling said.
Xinis also wrote that "by extension, because Wolf filled the role of Acting Secretary without authority, he promulgated the challenged rules also 'in excess of...authority,' and not 'in accordance with the law.'"
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, the Senior Official performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary, were Appointed as Part of an Invalid Order of Succession.
Last month, a Coalition of: 20 State Attorneys General; 10 Cities and Counties, Challenged the Trump Administration's New Rules that they Argued Limited Access to Employment Authorization for Asylum Seekers, according to a Statement from New York Attorney General, Letitia James' Office. "The first rule would require asylum seekers to wait a year before applying for employment authorization, and bar many from obtaining authorization at all. The second rule would eliminate the longstanding requirement that employment authorization applications be processed within 30 days, thus allowing such applications to sit untouched indefinitely," James' office said.
Court Documents state the New Rules took Effect in late August.
Xinis found that DHS "completely sidestepped this critical impact of the new rules" and "never wrestled with the fundamental implications of deferring or denying advance work authorization." "Substantially limiting approval of work authorization for bona fide asylees will inevitably affect their ability to afford the costs of seeking asylum, including hiring legal counsel," Xinis wrote.
Xinis' Order Granted Injunctive Relief to Only members of Casa de Maryland, Inc. (CASA) and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Two of the Lawsuit's Plaintiffs that the Judge found to have "demonstrated associational standing at this stage," finding the Relief "both proper and necessary to avoid irreparable harm."
The Organizations have approximately 100,000 and 4,000 Members each, according to the Judge's Order.
James welcomed the Ruling in a Statement, Monday Sept. 14th, calling Wolf a Man with "no authority and no business sitting in the chair of the acting secretary of Homeland Security." "Not only is this decision welcome news for asylum seekers who were unfairly targeted by the Trump Administration, but the courts have now found that Chad Wolf has no authority at the Department of Homeland Security," she said.
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