A federal judge on Thursday revoked a measure aimed at making it easier for spouses of American citizens to obtain legal status in the United States, a potentially fatal blow to one of President Joe Biden’s most significant immigration reforms .
• Also read: Five things to know about Donald Trump’s historic victory
• Also read: Speech by Joe Biden: the president insists on the need to “lower” political tensions
This program, called Keeping Families Together, is, according to the decision consulted by AFP, contrary to American laws governing immigration.
Texas federal judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed by Donald Trump during his first term, had already suspended this measure twice since August as part of a proceeding brought by the Republican attorneys general of 16 states Americans who contested this policy of the Biden administration.
The judge’s decision can be appealed, but the election of Donald Trump in Tuesday’s presidential election makes it unlikely that the procedure will succeed. The fight against immigration was the central theme of the campaign, with increasingly racist and violent overtones against migrants, of the Republican billionaire.
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 have filed this lawsuit estimate that this policy costs millions of dollars for public services – including health, education and law enforcement – that they say immigrants rely on.
These new measures aimed to simplify the procedure for people who already meet the conditions required to obtain permanent residence.
They concerned people who had been in the country for at least ten years and married to an American citizen before June 17, 2024, as well as some 50,000 stepchildren of American citizens.
Those whose applications were approved were granted work permits and the right to stay in the United States for up to three years while they applied for a permanent resident green card.
Related News :