A federal judge has struck down a Biden administration program that would allow unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens to get legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. citizenship, deeming the policy illegal. The ruling, made by U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed with a lawsuit filed by Texas and other Republican-led states. The program, known as Keeping Families Together, aimed to promote family unity among mixed-status households and was estimated to benefit roughly half a million undocumented immigrants.
The Justice Department has the option to appeal Thursday’s ruling, but the fate of the Keeping Families Together program is uncertain with the incoming Trump administration. President Trump has vowed to dismantle President Biden’s immigration policies, seal and militarize the U.S.-Mexico border, and carry out massive deportations. The White House and Department of Homeland Security have yet to comment on the ruling. The program, announced in June by President Biden, followed another executive action by him to restrict asylum along the U.S.-Mexico border. It aimed to offer work permits, deportation protections, and a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to American citizens who had lived in the U.S. for a decade without committing serious crimes.
Under current U.S. immigration law, immigrants who marry U.S. citizens are eligible for a green card, but those who entered the country illegally must leave and re-enter legally to qualify. However, doing so can result in a 3 or 10-year ban from re-entering the U.S., deterring many families from seeking this option. The Biden program would allow eligible immigrants to apply for a green card without leaving the country by granting them parole, an immigration benefit that negates their illegal entry. Judge Campbell Barker argued that the Biden administration did not have the legal authority to grant parole to unauthorized immigrants already in the U.S., thus deeming the program illegal.
The ruling represents a significant setback for the Biden administration’s immigration policy, as the program would have provided a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship for eligible immigrants without the need to leave the country. With the upcoming Trump administration likely to target and reverse President Biden’s immigration initiatives, the future of such programs remains uncertain. The ongoing legal battles over immigration policies underscore the contentious and polarizing nature of the issue, with different administrations pursuing contrasting approaches to address unauthorized immigration and family reunification. The fate of programs like Keeping Families Together hinges on judicial decisions and political priorities, shaping the lives and futures of undocumented immigrants and their families in the U.S.
