Judge rules Biden's program for undocumented spouses is illegal

The inaugural was announced by President Biden successful June.

A national judge has struck down nan Biden administration's programme known arsenic "Keeping Families Together," dealing a awesome rustle to nan estimated half a cardinal undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens that DHS estimates would person benefited.

The management announced nan programme successful June, but a conjugation of 16 Republican-led states -- led by Texas and Stephen Miller's America First Legal -- quickly revenge a suit aft applications were made disposable successful August.

A national judge put nan programme connected clasp conscionable days aft hopeful applicants revenge their paperwork.

The programme would person provided impermanent alleviation from deportation for undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens done a process known arsenic "parole successful place." It would person allowed them to use for ineligible position without having to time off nan country.

A conveyance drives on nan U.S. broadside of nan US-Mexico separator wall successful Nogales, Ariz., connected June 25, 2024.

Jae C. Hong/AP, FILE

On Thursday, Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled successful favour of nan Republican-led effort to dismantle nan program, agreeing pinch Republican states that nan management had exceeded its statutory authority because nan Immigration and Nationality Act allows for paroling group "into nan United States," not to those already successful nan country.

Noncitizen spouses are already eligible for ineligible position nether existent laws but often person to use from their location countries and look up to a 10-year prohibition from returning to nan U.S.

In August, ABC News said pinch a 24-year-old female who was 1 of nan first people to beryllium approved nether nan program. She is joined to a U.S. national and they person a 3-year-old child.

It's unclear astatine nan infinitesimal what will hap to group who person already submitted their paperwork, for illustration Cecilia, and if they'll beryllium capable to get their exertion fees refunded.

ABC News has reached retired to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and nan White House for a comment.

President Joe Biden walks retired of nan Oval Office to speak astir nan results of nan 2024 predetermination successful nan Rose Garden connected Nov. 07, 2024 successful Washington, D.C.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker did not conscionable dismantle nan Keeping Families Together program, he shattered nan hopes of hundreds of thousands of American families. The Biden-Harris programme would person allowed noncitizen spouses and noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens to enactment successful nan state aft they've contributed to our communities, helped turn our economy, and built lives pinch their loved ones" Ashley DeAzevedo, president of American Families United, said successful a connection to ABC News.

"We impulse nan Biden-Harris management to instantly entreaty Judge Barker's ruling, preventing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and 15 different Republican Attorneys General sadistic suit from devastating complete 550,000 individuals successful mixed-status families. Families for illustration ours merit amended than this blatant effort to extremity a ineligible program, and we will not extremity until nan courts rectify this injustice," DeAzevedo said.