August 27 :
In a setback for US President Joe Biden's flagship immigration reform program, a Texas judge on August 26 imposed a temporary halt on a plan to expedite the process by which US citizens' spouses might gain legal status in the US. The sixteen Republican US attorneys general challenged the policies of the Biden administration in a case that Judge J. Campbell Barker accepted, granting a fourteen-day administrative stay.
An estimated half a million foreign nationals who were married to US residents have a smoother route to citizenship thanks to the new policy that Biden announced in June. But the sixteen states who filed the suit claim that the policy is wasting millions of dollars on public services that immigrants use, such as schools, hospitals, and police departments.
To date, the court has not had the resources to give the allegations the thorough examination they deserve, Judge Barker stated in his decision. "This is merely the initial stage. Posting on X following the decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—whose state is a party to the case—said, "We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law."
Prior to the upcoming presidential election in November, where Vice President Kamala Harris will face off against Republican Donald Trump, the Biden administration has been beset by difficulties in resolving the contentious subject of immigration. Striking a balance between cracking down on illegal immigration and fixing the broken immigration system is a delicate balancing act for the Democratic Party.
Trump has built his presidential campaign around the idea that the United States is being attacked by a migrant "invasion." By doing away with the need to leave the nation as part of the application process, the new regulations would make things easier for individuals who already meet the criteria for permanent residency.
The regulations were applicable to anybody who had been in the nation for a minimum of ten years and who was married to a US citizen prior to June 17, 2024. They also extended to the approximately fifty thousand stepchildren of US citizens. Appropriate applicants will be awarded work authorization and the ability to remain in the US for a maximum of three years while they pursue a green card application, which leads to full citizenship. This "parole in place" status will not be granted at this time under the decision, but the DHS will still be accepting applications for it.
The court did not "express any ultimate conclusions about the success or likely success" of the plaintiffs' case while the stay was in place, according to Barker's writing. Despite the court's announcement of a shortened hearing schedule, Barker pointed out that the two-week stay would most certainly be prolonged over the course of the proceedings. Accordingly, the court anticipates that the order may be renewed for further periods of time through the middle of October on the grounds that good cause may exist
