Republican-led States Attempt to Halt Program Aiding Undocumented Spouses
New Federal Directive Faces Backlash
President Biden’s recent mandate, designed to potentially grant a path to citizenship for undocumented spouses of American citizens, is under fire. Texas, along with 15 other Republican-led states have come together to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration, expressing their demands to put a hold on this initiative.
Program Overview
The program, which was announced on June 18, has been reported as one of the most extensive actions to assist undocumented immigrants since the inception of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) about 12 years ago. The applications for this program began to be accepted this week.
The main focus was to provide legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. This program could have consequentially put many undocumented spouses of Americans on a path to attain U.S. citizenship.
Lawsuit Details
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The petitioners seek both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to immediately suspend the program. The states have asserted in their legal filings that the initiative is illegal as it exceeds the executive branch’s discretion to set policy.
According to their claim, “The Biden-Harris Administration — dissatisfied with the legislative system in place by Congress, and for overtly political motivations — has yet again attempted to create its own immigration system.”
Arguments
The 67-page court filing continues, “This administrative action is tantamount to mass amnesty masked within purported executive discretion — a comprehensive, last-minute gambit by an administration set on rewriting immigration laws devoid of Congressional approval.” Thus, presenting their argument against the new immigration initiative announcing it as an attempt to bypass the existing immigration laws.
The federal court will now have to decide whether the program infringes upon the executive’s power to set immigration policy. It is expected that the defenses will argue about the necessity and legality of the executive action. The importance of such decisions in shaping immigration policy and impacting lives of immigrants and their families cannot be overstated.
Conclusion
The contentious discussion over immigration reform and the executive’s role in enacting changes continues unabated in the U.S. Across various U.S. sectors, the wait is on to see how this legal challenge unfolds and how it could shape the nation’s immigration policies.
Author: STAFF HERE NOVI WRITER
The NOVI STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERENovi.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Novi, Oakland County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Motor City Comic Con, Michigan State Fair, and Novi Home and Garden Show. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Novi Chamber of Commerce and Novi Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in automotive, technology, and manufacturing that power the local economy such as Gentherm, Stoneridge, and Daifuku North America. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREDetroitMI.com, HEREGrandRapids.com, HERENorthville.com, and HEREPlymouth.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Michigan's dynamic landscape.
