A U.S. judge extended a temporary block on President Biden's "Keeping Families Together" program, designed to legalize the status of immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. The decision by Texas-based District Judge J. Campbell Barker will keep the program on hold at least until September 23, 2024, while more legal arguments are heard. The Biden administration had unveiled the program that could help 500,000 immigrants who have entered the United States illegally and lived there for at least a decade.
The program, extending to 50,000 children of U.S. citizens, is being opposed by the Republican-led states in their suit, including Texas, for the reason that the initiative flouts established U.S. immigration laws through overstepping executive authority. In a lawsuit assisted with the help of America First Legal, it was stated that the program violates the rule of law in giving legal status to aliens who entered the country illegally without having to leave U.S. soil.
Biden unveiled the program in June, which offered a path to citizenship for eligible immigrants married to U.S. citizens. In many instances, immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens would be obligated to leave the country for extended waiting periods before being allowed to lawfully return to the United States. The program also offers temporary parole status for children under age 21, providing a pathway of legal residency toward eventual citizenship for families who would otherwise be separated.
But it's those wider implications for immigration policy that have made the result of this program important to outsiders, as the presidential election approaches next year. Immigration has been a common theme, and Vice President Kamala Harris has indicated she most likely will continue Biden's policies on immigration if she is elected. On the other hand, former President Donald Trump vowed he will be tougher on immigration if he makes it back into the White House.
Supporters of the rule say it fits within Biden's larger push to make the immigration system "more humane" in a manner that keeps families together. In addition, they argue that the rule would extend legal protections to people who have contributed to U.S. communities and economies for the last decade. None of those arguments has gained any serious ground to date, however, and the temporary block endures, pushing off the rollout of the rule and muddling certainty even further for those looking to benefit.
With both sides preparing to advance legal arguments in court, the case continues in preparation for a September 23 hearing. The ruling will determine not only the outcome of the "Keeping Families Together" program but perhaps shape a wider national debate on executive authority in setting immigration policy. The administration and the Republican-led states are preparing for battle in court.
Leave a comment!