A federal judge in Texas has struck down the Biden administration’s “Keeping Families Together” program, which aimed to provide protection from deportation to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The judge ruled that the program exceeded Biden’s executive authority and was unlawful. This decision comes after legal challenges brought by Texas and a coalition of U.S. states with Republican attorneys general. The program was initially introduced in August but was quickly blocked by the judge and has been on hold ever since.
The coalition of states argued that the program violated federal law, which prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining immigration benefits, including permanent status, without first leaving the country and being readmitted. They claimed that the program would allow more than 1.3 million illegal immigrants to benefit, far more than the administration’s estimate of about 500,000 immigrants. Critics contended that the use of parole in this manner was not in line with its intended purpose, which is limited to “case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” The administration had argued that Keeping Families Together was consistent with American values and aimed at keeping families of U.S. citizens together without fear of separation.
The lawsuit against the program was led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who hailed the court’s decision as a victory in stopping the Biden administration from granting mass amnesty to illegal aliens. He accused the administration of decimating the immigration system and erasing borders since taking office. Along with other Republican attorneys general, Paxton was successful in halting the program, which they argue would have paved the way for the largest administrative amnesty in American history. The opposition claims that the Biden administration has created a crisis at the southern border, and states like Missouri have had to take action to protect their communities from the influx of immigrants.
The Department of Homeland Security and the White House had previously defended the program, vowing to continue processing applications and defending it in court. However, with the court’s ruling against the program, it remains unclear what steps the administration will take next. The White House accused Republican officials of playing politics rather than helping American families or fixing the broken immigration system. They argued that the lawsuit sought to force U.S. citizens and their families, who have lived in the country for more than ten years, to live in the shadows and separate families who are already eligible for lawful permanent residency.
Despite the administration’s efforts to secure the border and enforce immigration laws, the lawsuit brought by the coalition of states represents a significant challenge to their policies. The states involved in the lawsuit include Texas, Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming. With the court’s decision to strike down the program, the future of the Biden administration’s immigration policies remains uncertain, as they continue to face legal challenges and opposition from Republican-led states.
