Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden's Immigration Program for Spouses of U.S. Citizens

A federal judge has declared the Biden administration's immigration program, known as "Keeping Families Together," illegal.

This program was designed to provide unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens with a pathway to legal status and U.S. citizenship.

The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker, an appointee of President-elect Donald Trump, marks a substantial setback for the outgoing Biden administration.

The program aimed to offer work permits, deportation protections, and a route to permanent residency for undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for at least ten years without committing serious crimes. It was estimated that approximately half-a-million undocumented immigrants could benefit from this initiative. However, the court found that the policy violated U.S. immigration law, siding with a lawsuit filed by Texas and over a dozen other Republican-led states.

This decision comes amidst broader political and legal battles over U.S. immigration reform, reflecting ongoing tensions between federal policies and state-level challenges.

The Justice Department has the option to appeal the ruling, but the incoming Trump administration has already expressed its intention to dismantle President Biden's immigration policies.

Trump has also promised to "seal and militarize the U.S.-Mexico border" and oversee what he describes as the "largest mass deportation in American history."