A Texas judge on Monday ordered a halt to a policy aimed at making it easier for spouses of American citizens to obtain legal status in the United States, dealing a blow to one of President Joe Biden’s most significant immigration reform measures.
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Judge J. Campbell Barker suspended the measure for 14 days as part of a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general from 16 U.S. states challenging the Biden administration’s policy.
In June, Joe Biden announced a measure intended to simplify access to citizenship for around half a million immigrants married to American nationals.
The 16 states that filed the lawsuit estimate that the policy costs millions of dollars to public services — including health care, education and law enforcement — that immigrants rely on.
“The claims are substantial and deserve greater consideration than the court has been able to afford to date,” Judge Barker wrote in his order.
The Biden administration has been pushing for action on immigration, a divisive issue for many Americans ahead of the November presidential election, in which Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will face Republican Donald Trump.
The Democratic Party is striving for a tougher policy on illegal immigration, while introducing reforms for better protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
For his part, Mr. Trump presents the United States as being beset by what he calls an “invasion” of migrants.
The new measures were aimed at simplifying the procedure for people who already meet the requirements for permanent residence.
They concern people present in the country for at least ten years and married to a US citizen before June 17, 2024, as well as some 50,000 stepchildren of US citizens.
Those whose applications were approved were granted a work permit and the right to remain in the United States for up to three years while they applied for a green card.
Monday’s ruling suspends those measures, but it does not prevent the government from continuing to accept applications.
In a statement, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it would continue to receive applications but would not grant any until the suspension is lifted.
The court announced an expedited hearing schedule in the case, but Mr Barker said the two-week stay would likely be extended.
