A Biden administration program that allows undocumented immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for citizenship without leaving the U.S. has faced opposition and was recently blocked by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, from the Eastern District of Texas, ruled on Monday that the government must stop granting parole to these immigrants.
The temporarily blocked program, called "Keeping Families Together," supports a "parole in place" policy, providing legal relief to undocumented immigrant spouses of American citizens who have lived continuously in the U.S. for at least 10 years, among other requirements, according to CBS News.
The parole in place allows these immigrants to apply for a green card without leaving American soil. Normally, they would need to leave the U.S. before applying for a green card, which could result in family separation. However, with parole in place, they no longer need to worry about being separated from their families while applying.
According to NBC News, the White House estimated that around 500,000 people could be eligible for the program. Federal immigration agencies began accepting applications on August 19.
However, following a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued that the program directly violates laws created by Congress, the judge ordered the program to be blocked.
Immigrants are still allowed to file their applications, but they will not be processed until the stay is lifted.
The block was a significant disappointment for many Americans. Foday Turay, an immigrant from Sierra Leone who is now a prosecutor in Philadelphia, expressed his heartbreak. He was among those who filed a motion to intervene and defend the pro-immigration program.
"My wife and I were really depending on this so we could move on with our lives and plan our future," he said.
