A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday upheld a temporary block on a Biden administration program that seeks to grant legal status to immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. Texas-based U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker decided to maintain the pause on the program until at least September 23 to allow time for further legal arguments and a possible hearing.
The Biden administration introduced the Keeping Families Together program last month. It aims to offer a path to citizenship for approximately 500,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally but are married to U.S. citizens. However, Texas, joined by a coalition of Republican-led states, filed a lawsuit to stop the program, arguing that it exceeds the executive branch’s authority by bypassing existing U.S. immigration laws.
President Biden unveiled the initiative in June, shortly before stepping out of the 2024 presidential race, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris as the leading Democratic candidate against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Immigration is expected to be a key issue in the November 5 election, according to polls conducted by Reuters/Ipsos.
The Keeping Families Together program would allow immigrant spouses who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years to apply for citizenship. Without this program, many would be required to leave the U.S. and face long waiting periods before they could return legally. In addition, the program offers temporary “parole” status to around 50,000 children under the age of 21 with a U.S.-citizen parent, providing a path to eventual citizenship.
The lawsuit against the program is being co-led by America First Legal, an organization headed by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to Donald Trump. Texas and 15 other Republican-led states have also joined in the legal challenge.