A federal judge has blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to create a pathway to U.S. citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to American citizens, ruling that the administration lacks the authority to implement such a program without Congressional approval.
In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Campbell Barker, appointed by former President Donald Trump, concluded that the Biden administration “overstepped its legal boundaries” in establishing the initiative.
Judge Barker’s ruling follows a lawsuit from 16 Republican-led states, which argued that the executive branch should not bypass Congress to enact immigration policies.
The program, intended to provide relief to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, had been temporarily halted by Judge Barker shortly after it launched in August.
The White House responded with disappointment, stating that it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling and is “evaluating next steps.”
White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández commented, “This ruling sides with Republican state officials who are seeking to force U.S. citizens and their families, people who have lived in the United States for more than ten years, to either separate or live in the shadows in constant fear of deportation.”
He added, “Our Administration believes in keeping American families together.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also expressed frustration, stating that it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
DHS officials said the program, known as “Keeping Families Together,” is “grounded in well-established legal authority, and its purpose is consistent with fundamental American values.”
Meanwhile, America First Legal, a group aligned with Trump and involved in the lawsuit, praised the court’s decision.
Gene Hamilton, the group’s executive director, said, “Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has dedicated itself to the decimation of our immigration system and the erasure of our borders.”
He added that the Republican-led states “succeeded in stopping an illegal program that would have provided amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.”
The “Keeping Families Together” program, introduced by Biden in August, was aimed at allowing undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens—and who have lived in the country for at least ten years—a path to obtain a green card without leaving the U.S. This green card would then make them eligible to apply for citizenship after three years.
Biden’s administration estimated that about 500,000 undocumented immigrants could benefit from the initiative.
Biden announced the plan shortly after introducing new measures to curb the number of asylum claims at the U.S. border, amid record-high border crossings.
He argued that the policy would help keep families together and address flaws in an older system that often led to family separations.
However, critics argued that the initiative effectively provided “amnesty” to migrants who entered the country illegally.
Although the Biden administration may appeal Judge Barker’s ruling, the program is likely to remain stalled, particularly as the Republican president-elect, Donald Trump, prepares to take office.
Trump has promised to enact sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policies, including “mass deportations.”
Source-BBC
