A coalition of 16 Republican-led states, led by Texas, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, challenging a newly introduced program that could provide legal status to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens but are currently in the country illegally.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, seeks an immediate suspension of the program through a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
The states argue that the program exceeds the executive branch's authority, claiming it constitutes "mass amnesty cloaked in purported executive discretion." The lawsuit criticizes the Biden administration for attempting to bypass Congress and create its own immigration policies, asserting that the program misuses the Department of Homeland Security's parole authority, intended for urgent humanitarian cases, by applying it to a large group of individuals already in the U.S.
In response, White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández accused Republican officials of prioritizing political games over addressing America's immigration challenges. He stated, "Republican elected officials continue to demonstrate that they are more focused on playing politics than helping American families or fixing our broken immigration system."
The program, announced by President Joe Biden on June 18, could potentially shield up to 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and provide them with a pathway to legal residency and work authorization. The administration presented the program as a means to promote family unity, a fundamental American value, according to Biden.
However, the lawsuit has faced strong criticism from immigrant advocacy groups. Todd Schulte, president of the pro-immigrant group FWD.us, labeled the legal action as "a baseless legal attack" and condemned it for its potential to separate families.
The legal battle represents the latest in a series of challenges from Texas and other states against federal immigration policies under the Biden administration. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of U.S. immigration policy.
