A Texas court has issued a 14-day administrative stay on President Joe Biden’s immigration policy, which aimed to streamline the pathway to citizenship for spouses of US citizens.
This decision is a significant blow to one of Biden’s major immigration reform policies.
In June, President Biden announced the new policy, which would have affected an estimated half a million immigrants married to US nationals. The policy aimed to remove the requirement for eligible immigrants to leave the country as part of the application process. This would have applied to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and are married to a US citizen before June 17, 2024. Additionally, an estimated 50,000 stepchildren of US citizens would have also benefited from this policy.
The Republican attorneys general of 16 US states challenged the policy, claiming it would cost them millions of dollars in public services, including healthcare, education, and law enforcement. Judge Campbell Barker granted the temporary pause, citing the need for further review.
The temporary pause will delay the implementation of the policy, leaving thousands of immigrants in limbo. Those who were expecting to benefit from the policy will now have to wait until the court makes a final decision. The pause also raises questions about the future of immigration reform in the US.
