A federal judge in Texas issued a temporary injunction on Monday, blocking the Biden administration from granting legal status to unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens, CBS News reports.
The ruling follows a request from 16 Republican-led states that challenged the new immigration policy, which had opened just a week prior and was expected to impact an estimated half a million undocumented immigrants in the US.
District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker’s order halts the “Keeping Families Together” program, which aimed to provide temporary work permits and deportation protections to unauthorized immigrants married to US citizens. To qualify, applicants must have lived in the country for at least 10 years and pass background checks. The measure also extends benefits to undocumented stepchildren of US citizens, although those with felony convictions are ineligible.
One of the key components of this program was its potential to create a streamlined pathway to permanent residency and, eventually, US citizenship for eligible participants.
The “Keeping Families Together” initiative was introduced shortly after another executive action that restricted asylum access at the southern border. The Biden administration described the program as a means to promote family unity among mixed-status households, arguing that it addresses the needs of undocumented immigrants who have lived in legal uncertainty for years.
However, Texas and the other Republican-led states contend that the policy rewards illegal immigration and misuses the immigration parole authority. The lawsuit, filed on Friday, is part of a broader effort by these states to challenge various immigration measures enacted by the Biden administration.
Judge Barker, a Trump appointee, issued an administrative order that prevents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from approving applications under the “Keeping Families Together” policy for 14 days but indicated the possibility of extending this injunction. Although new applications can still be accepted, no approvals will be granted during this period.
DHS spokesperson Naree Ketudat confirmed on Tuesday that the agency has stopped approving cases under this program while it prepares to defend the policy in court.
“Keeping Families Together” enables US citizens and their family members to live without fear of separation, consistent with fundamental American values,” Ketudat stated.
The court’s decision received praise from former Trump administration immigration advisor Stephen Miller, whose organization, America First Legal, joined the lawsuit. He called it a significant victory in the ongoing legal struggle against the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to create paths to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
In contrast, President Joe Biden responded to the ruling by deeming it “wrong.”
