Quick Hit:

A federal judge blocked the Biden administration's "parole in place" program, which would have offered green cards to illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens.

Key Details:

• U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker issued a stay on the program, halting it for at least two weeks.
• The program faced a lawsuit from 16 Republican-led states, spearheaded by Texas.
• The program aimed to allow illegal immigrant spouses to remain in the U.S. and apply for green cards without leaving the country.

Diving Deeper:

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administration's "parole in place" program, which was designed to provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker issued the administrative stay on Monday, pausing the program for a minimum of two weeks while he considers the legal challenge brought by a coalition of 16 Republican-led states.

The lawsuit, led by Texas, contends that the Biden administration bypassed Congress in implementing the program, which the plaintiffs argue was introduced for "political purposes." The states involved in the lawsuit include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

Judge Barker’s decision to halt the program reflects the significance of the legal claims raised by the conservative states. "The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date," Barker stated, as reported by the Associated Press.

The "parole in place" program was initiated last week, offering illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens the ability to stay in the country legally and apply for green cards. To be eligible, immigrants must have been in the U.S. for at least ten years, possess a clean criminal record, and have been married to a U.S. citizen by June 17. While current laws permit illegal immigrants married to U.S. citizens to apply for green cards, they typically must leave the country and undergo a lengthy process. This new program sought to eliminate the need for them to leave the U.S. to apply.