A federal judge in Texas has temporarily halted a new immigration program from the Biden administration that could protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of United States citizens from deportation.
The order, issued on Monday, pauses the “Keeping Families Together” program for 14 days as the court reviews a lawsuit brought by 16 Republican-led states.
The program, which started last week, aims to allow undocumented spouses who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years to work legally and apply for permanent residency. When the White House announced the program in June, officials stated it could benefit more than 500,000 spouses and 50,000 children under 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.
“This is just the first step. We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who supports the judge’s decision. Critics of the program argue that it provides amnesty for illegal migrants, while supporters believe it keeps families together and addresses the flaws of the previous system, which often separated families.
Judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed by former President Donald Trump, issued the stay, noting that the “claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date.” While the program is on hold, the Department of Homeland Security can still receive applications but cannot process them.
The Biden administration had described the program as the most significant relief for undocumented migrants since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was introduced in 2012. The program would allow qualifying spouses to stay in the U.S. while seeking legal status, a significant shift from the previous system, which required applicants to leave the country to apply.
