Texas and a coalition of Republican-led states have sued President Joe Biden’s administration over a new program that offers a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally and are now married to U.S. citizens. The lawsuit argues that the program, called Keeping Families Together, oversteps the administration’s authority and circumvents U.S. immigration laws. This program provides a path to citizenship for around 500,000 immigrant spouses who entered the U.S. illegally and have at least 10 years of residence, allowing them to avoid leaving the country for years before returning legally.
Republicans have made illegal immigration a central focus of the upcoming presidential election, with former President Donald Trump, a Republican, running against the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who led Trump’s restrictive immigration policies, labeled the Biden program as “brazenly unlawful.” Keeping Families Together also offers temporary “parole” status to around 50,000 children under age 21 with a U.S.-citizen parent, providing a path to citizenship.
The White House denounced the lawsuit filed by Texas and other states, stating that it aims to separate families and contradicts the nation’s values. Texas has previously clashed with the Biden administration in court over immigration and border issues, with a federal appeals court granting permission for Texas to maintain a barrier in the Rio Grande River to block migrants illegally crossing from Mexico.
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