Judge Rules Joe Biden’s Immigration Program for Spouses of U.S. Citizens Unlawful

A federal judge has struck down a Biden administration program that would have allowed unauthorized immigrants married to U.S. citizens to gain legal status and eventually U.S. citizenship, declaring the policy illegal.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker, a Trump appointee, ruled that the program violates U.S. immigration law, siding with a lawsuit filed by Texas and over a dozen other Republican-led states.

This ruling marks a significant setback for the outgoing Biden administration, which had argued that the policy, known as Keeping Families Together, would promote family unity among mixed-status households.

When announced earlier this year, officials estimated that around half a million undocumented immigrants would likely be eligible for the program.

While the Justice Department may appeal Thursday’s ruling, the incoming Trump administration has pledged to dismantle President Biden’s immigration policies. Trump has also promised to further secure and militarize the U.S.-Mexico border and carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.

The Keeping Families Together initiative, introduced by Biden in June, came just weeks after he took separate executive action to limit asylum along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Under the program, undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens who had lived in the country for at least 10 years without committing serious crimes would be granted work permits and deportation protections. The policy also allowed them to apply for permanent residency (a green card), with the possibility of applying for citizenship after three years.