A federal judge has rejected a Biden administration policy aimed at easing the path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens.
The program was hailed as one of the largest presidential actions in recent years to help immigrant families, allowing undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to earn green light for permanent residency without first leaving the country. You can now apply for a card.
It is estimated that about 500,000 foreign-born spouses of U.S. citizens are eligible for the Biden administration’s initiative announced in June under the banner “Keeping Families Together.” Applications opened on August 19th.
Temporary relief from deportation presumes applicants will benefit from the program until Texas-based U.S. District Judge Campbell Barker puts the program on hold just days after filing documents It brought a momentary sense of security to those affected.
Immigrant advocacy groups denounced the ruling as “heartbreaking,” saying it could result in mixed-status families being separated for years or even permanently while long-term green card applications are processed. He said that there is a possibility that
And on Thursday, the day after Donald Trump retook the White House for Republicans, Barker said the Biden administration had overstepped its authority by implementing the program and pushed legal interpretations of related immigration laws “beyond breaking point.” The court ruled that it had expanded.
In any case, this short-lived effort would have been unlikely to continue after President Trump took office in January. But an early end would create further uncertainty for immigrant families as many prepare for President Trump’s return to the White House.
After he followed through on his promise of mass deportations and made the U.S.-Mexico border a top election issue for voters hundreds of miles from the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. He promised a swift and large-scale crackdown on illegal immigrants. California.
The president-elect is campaigning with a litany of anti-immigrant statements, particularly regarding asylum seekers and the thousands of people who cross the southern border from Mexico, Latin America, and troubled Caribbean countries such as Haiti and Cuba. It cheered me up. Immigrants were “contaminating the blood” of the people.
President Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance have repeatedly rattled off racist stories, particularly about Haitian immigrants living legally in the U.S., stirring up fear among their supporters.
Fears of anti-immigrant roundups, detentions, and deportations are now spreading through undocumented communities across the United States, with families being torn apart and the imminent threat of deportation of people who have lived law-abiding lives in the United States for years. are. The logistics and costs of doing so are not being addressed by the Trump team.
During President Trump’s first term, he appointed Barker to a judgeship in Tyler, Texas, home to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a venue favored by conservative advocates.
Barker files legal challenge as Texas and 15 other states, led by Republican attorneys general, accuse the executive branch of bypassing Congress to aid immigrant families for “blatant political purposes.” In response to the incident, immigration policy was put on hold.
Republicans argued the initiative would create costs for states and could draw more immigrants to the United States.
Non-national spouses are already eligible for legal status, but they often have to apply from their home country, which can take several years.
Meanwhile, Mexico will continue to pursue measures to prevent migrants from reaching its northern border with the United States, the country’s top diplomat said Friday.
Foreign Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente pointed to data showing that the number of migrants apprehended at the border by U.S. authorities has fallen by 76% since last December, after rising sharply, and said Mexico’s model is He emphasized that it is working and will continue to be maintained. Next, Joe Biden’s measures including a crackdown on asylum rights.
“We are making good progress and will continue on this path,” he told a news conference.
At the same meeting, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that she had discussed the border with Trump during their first phone call the day before, but also noted that the number of migrants entering the country has plummeted.
“He brought up the border issue, and he just said it, and I said to him, ‘Sure, there’s a border issue, but there’s room to talk about it.’ said Sheinbaum, describing the conversation. “Very kind,” he said.
As in previous terms, President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Mexican exports unless the Mexican government stops migrants and drugs from crossing the border.
Mexico is highly dependent on the US market, with approximately 80% of its exports going to the US market.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting
