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| -Land of the Free |
| Federal judge blocks Biden admin move to give legal status to illegal immigrant spouses of US citizens |
| 2024-08-27 |
| [FoxNews] 16 Republican attorneys general sued over the policy on Friday. The Biden administration’s efforts to grant a pathway to citizenship to some illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens have been put on hold temporarily by a federal judge after a lawsuit from 16 Republican-led states. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on Monday put a stay on the "parole in place" program, which was announced in June and allows for humanitarian parole and a path to permanent residency for certain illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens without them having to leave the country. The 16 states, led by Texas and America First Legal, argued in a filing first reported by Fox News Digital that the rule violates federal law, which prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining immigration benefits, including permanent status, without first having left the country and being readmitted. They argued it does that by an unlawful use of parole, which is limited to use on a "case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit." "Biden's unconstitutional scheme would have rewarded over 1 million illegal aliens with the opportunity for citizenship after breaking our country's laws—and incentivized countless more," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The administration had estimated that about 500,000 immigrants would benefit, and about 50,000 children. The new process would have applied to noncitizen spouses who have lived in the U.S. for 10 years as of June and are judged not to pose a threat to public safety or national security, allowing them to apply for permanent residency. It argued that families live in fear and "face deep uncertainty about their future" due to the requirement that they depart and be processed abroad. "In addition, individuals must have no disqualifying criminal history or otherwise constitute a threat to national security or public safety and should otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion," a fact sheet said. The stay will last for two weeks but can be extended. Barker is a judge appointed by former President Donald Trump. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |