Federal judge strikes down Biden citizenship program aimed at migrant spouses of US citizens

A federal judge in Texas on Thursday struck down a Biden administration immigration program, ruling that it was illegal to streamline citizenship for the spouses of American citizens.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker, who was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump in his first term, sided with Texas and other Republican states that the program violated federal immigration law, because the Biden administration did not have the legal authority to grant parole to undocumented immigrants, per CBS News.

The ruling comes shortly after Trump won the presidential election, so although the Biden administration can appeal the ruling, the "Keeping Families Together" initiative would likely be dismantled in the second Trump administration.

The program would have offered work permits and deportation protections to the spouses of illegal immigrants who are married to Americans and have been in the United States for at least 10 years at the time of the program's inception in June.

The initiative would have also streamlined the full citizenship because the spouses would have been eligible for a green card. Once a migrant has a green card for three years, they can apply for full citizenship.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.