Texas and a coalition of Republican-led states sued the president on Friday Joe Biden‘s leadership on a new program Offers a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the United States illegally and are currently married to U.S. citizens.
Defends the program that initiated the lawsuit receiving applications on Monday oversteps the administration’s authority to provide assistance to the undocumented and circumvents the intent of U.S. immigration laws.
Initiative called Keeping Families Together a the path to citizenship To the approximately 500,000 immigrant spouses who entered the United States illegally and have been residents for at least 10 years. Many without this option He will have to leave the US years before he could legally return.
Republicans have made illegal immigration a central focus of the Nov. 5 presidential election, when Republican former President Donald Trump will face Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
America First LawAn organization led by Trump adviser Stephen Miller served as co-counsel in the lawsuit along with Republican attorneys general in Texas and 15 other states.
Miller, who was the driving force behind Trump’s restrictive policies during his 2017-2021 presidency, called the Biden program “brazenly illegal” in a statement.
Keeping Families Together also allows approximately 50,000 children under the age of 21 whose parents are US citizens to obtain temporary “parole” status that leads to citizenship.
White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said the Texas lawsuit aims to separate families and is “contrary to our nation’s values.”
Texas has repeatedly clashed with the Biden administration in court over immigration and border issues.
A federal appeals court in July he said Texas may maintain a large floating barrier on the Rio Grande River to stop migrants crossing illegally from Mexico.