United States citizens will no longer be able to streamline citizenship for their immigrant spouses. On Nov. 6, U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled that President Joe Biden’s “Keep Families Together” program directly violates immigration law.
In a post on X, the current commander-in-chief condemned the ruling and vowed to continue his work.
“A single district court in Texas ruled that my Administration’s work to keep families together has to stop. That ruling is wrong. Families should not be needlessly separated – they should be able to stay together. My Administration will not stop fighting for them,” the tweet read.
16 Republican-led states filed the federal suit against the Biden administration in August 2024. The current administration drafted the “Keep Families Together” plan to help expedite a pathway to citizenship for immigrants already in the U.S. The White House released a statement stating President Biden’s reasons for proceeding with the new policy, which stated:
“President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together. He also believes that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented.”
Under the plan, prospective citizens would need to have been living in the U.S. for ten years or more, with no major convictions and married to a U.S. citizen to qualify. Meeting these qualifications would lead to the illegal immigrant obtaining a green card and eventually citizenship.
Biden introduced the plan on June 18 as part of his immigration reform. The proposal came under swift scrutiny by hard-line immigration sectors, prompting the suit.
During its term, the Biden administration worked to enforce multiple initiatives to improve rapid immigrant expansion in the U.S. The plan was produced in conjunction with direct action to freeze immigrant admission on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The election of Donald Trump may drastically change the direction of immigration policy as his Republican party surrogates have vowed to start mass deportations on Day 1.
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