A federal judge in Texas has ruled against the Biden administration’s “Keeping Families Together” program, which aimed to shield hundreds of thousands of immigrant spouses and children from deportation and provide a pathway to citizenship. The decision is a result of a lawsuit that Texas and other Republicans -led states filed, alleging that the administration’s policy exceeded its authority and contravened immigration law.
Judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed during the Trump administration, argued that the program “stretches legal interpretation past its breaking point.” The program, intended to benefit approximately 550,000 immigrant spouses and their children, would have allowed them to apply for legal status if they were married to U.S. citizens.
The decision is a blow to families hoping for a resolution to their immigration status, and the timing raises concerns that the incoming Trump administration, which has vowed to carry out mass deportations, may not defend the program. Trump, speaking to NBC News, reaffirmed his commitment to enforcing strict immigration policies and ending temporary protections like the ones offered by the Biden program.
Other GOP-controlled states joined the Texas-led lawsuit, which claimed that the program would put a financial burden on states and unlawfully extend benefits to non-citizens. America First Legal, the group representing these states, called the policy a “mass amnesty.”
While the ruling temporarily halts the program, advocates for immigrant families, such as Ashley DeAzevedo, President of American Families United, urged the Biden administration to appeal the decision, emphasizing the harm it causes to U.S. citizens married to undocumented individuals.
This legal setback could signal significant challenges for future immigration reforms, especially with the 2024 election results potentially shifting policy direction towards harsher enforcement.