A federal judge has nullified a Biden administration initiative meant to provide legal status to undocumented immigrants, raising substantial legal and political challenges.
At a Glance
- Federal judge nullified a Biden administration immigration program for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens.
- Judge Barker ruled the Department of Homeland Security lacked authority for the policy.
- The ruling results from a lawsuit by 16 Republican-led states.
- The program was meant to impact approximately 550,000 undocumented individuals.
Judge’s Decision on Immigration Initiative
U.S. District Judge John Campbell Barker ruled the Biden administration lacked statutory authority for its immigration initiative aimed at granting legal status to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The program, called “Keeping Families Together,” sought to provide parole for these immigrants, allowing them to remain in the U.S. without facing deportation. Barker stated the program was illegal, effectively blocking it from implementation.
The initiative was challenged in court by a coalition of Republican state attorneys general led by Texas’s Ken Paxton. They argued the program would lead to what they described as “widespread administrative amnesty,” skewing immigration controls and creating loopholes inconsistent with current U.S. immigration law.
Political Backlash and Response
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey criticized federal handling at the southern border, emphasizing the state’s role in opposing federal policies viewed as improper.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris created a crisis at the southern border, leaving the American people to pay the consequences,” Bailey stated.
This ruling aligns with broader Republican efforts to combat federal immigration strategies viewed as lenient.
Gene Hamilton of America First Legal praised the ruling, equating the Biden initiative to an “administrative amnesty” that circumvents Congress, as mentioned above. The blocked program would have affected an estimated 550,000 individuals, including undocumented stepchildren of U.S. citizens, by offering deportation protections and a legal path to residency.
Federal judge strikes down Biden administration’s immigration parole program | Click the image to read the story https://t.co/hXg2oDpCFC
— KOMU 8 News (@KOMUnews) November 8, 2024
Future Implications and Potential Appeal
The Justice Department may yet appeal the decision, though any efforts face opposition from an incoming administration committed to stringent immigration enforcement. President-elect Donald Trump pledged to dismantle such policies, declaring, “Crooked Joe’s action today is an illegal, unconstitutional amnesty without approval from Congress, no approval from the courts, or the American people. When I’m re-elected, Joe Biden’s illegal amnesty plan will be ripped up and thrown out on the very first day that we’re back in office.”
The program was active for a brief period prior to the injunction, leaving many in mixed-status families in uncertainty. As the Biden administration explores legal recourses, the larger national debate on immigration policy continues to dominate the political landscape, illustrating the deep divides over how best to manage immigration within constitutional frameworks.
