In a setback for President Joe Biden’s Administration, a judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a program that would have provided a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, is a legal challenge to Biden’s efforts to reform the immigration system. The program aimed to allow undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens to stay in the country while applying for green cards, preventing family separations and streamlining the immigration process. However, a coalition of 16 states led by Republican attorney generals filed a lawsuit, arguing that the policy would incentivize illegal immigration and place financial burdens on states dealing with undocumented populations.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the court’s decision on social media, calling Biden’s program “unlawful” and “unconstitutional.” The Department of Homeland Security had started accepting applications for the program just a week before the ruling, which puts the initiative on hold for at least two weeks while the court reviews the challenge. The lawsuit claims that undocumented immigrants have resulted in significant costs to state governments, with Texas alleging spending tens of millions of dollars annually on services related to its undocumented population. This legal challenge is the latest in a series of obstacles the Biden administration has faced in overhauling U.S. immigration policy, with resistance from Republican-led states and conservative judges.
This setback adds to the challenges the Biden administration has faced in reversing the restrictive measures implemented by former President Donald Trump. Since taking office, Biden has sought to undo many of Trump’s policies, but his efforts have often been met with opposition from Republican-led states and conservative judges. The court’s decision marks a setback for Biden’s immigration reform agenda, particularly in providing a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The ruling places the program on hold as the court considers the legal merits of the challenge brought forward by the 16-state coalition.
The lawsuit argues that the program would incentivize illegal immigration and impose financial burdens on states dealing with undocumented populations. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been a vocal critic of Biden’s immigration policies and celebrated the court’s decision as a victory against an “unconstitutional scheme.” The temporary block on the program has halted the Department of Homeland Security’s acceptance of applications, delaying the initiative while the court reviews the legal arguments presented by the states. The challenge highlights the ongoing conflict over immigration policy between the Biden administration and Republican-led states.
The Biden administration’s efforts to reform the immigration system face ongoing legal challenges and resistance from conservative opponents. The court’s decision to temporarily block the program providing a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens adds to the obstacles facing Biden’s immigration agenda. The administration has sought to reverse the restrictive measures implemented under the Trump administration, but these efforts have been met with opposition and legal challenges. The court’s ruling puts a hold on the program, delaying the benefits it aimed to provide for undocumented immigrants in the country.
