A federal judge has ruled against a Biden administration initiative that would have granted legal status and potential citizenship to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed by former President Donald Trump, found that the program violates U.S. immigration law, siding with a lawsuit filed by Texas and other Republican-led states.
This decision represents a significant setback for the Biden administration, which had argued that the “Keeping Families Together” policy would help promote family unity among mixed-status households. The program, announced earlier this year, was expected to benefit around half a million undocumented immigrants.
The ruling could be appealed by the Justice Department, but with Trump’s incoming administration committed to reversing many of Biden’s immigration policies—including border enforcement and mass deportations—the future of the program is uncertain.
The “Keeping Families Together” initiative, launched in June, aimed to offer work permits, deportation protections, and the opportunity for permanent residency (green cards) to undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who had lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years without committing serious crimes. After three years, these individuals could apply for U.S. citizenship.
