Biden's initiative to render undocumented immigrants married to American citizens legal was dismissed on Thursday by a federal judge in Texas, leaving almost half a million people stranded. The setback can block the program as Biden navigates the final months of his tenure.
According to U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, the program surpassed Biden's executive authority. The program christened Keeping Families Together, was initiated in August but stalled just days later when Barker intervened. The move reflects an agreement with the lawsuit filed by Texas and 16 other Republican states.
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The decision came just days after Donald Trump bagged the title of president-elect, and many began pointing out that his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, also got her citizenship the same way. Here's what one user commented:
"Exactly how Melania Trump became a citizen."
Several weighed in, as many were of the same opinion.
"It’s not even about getting criminals out at this point smh," somebody claimed.
"What will @MELANIATRUMP do," another probed.
"Bye melania!!!" another bid adieu.
"This is just the beginning of so much suffering," one user noted.
The rest of the internet, however, remained divided:
"Wow, I guess Melanoma got in at the right time," one user joked.
"So is Melania being sent home lmao. Going to be a lot of Slovakian, Russian, and Chinese women going home too," somebody else asked.
"The land of the free and home of the brave where marriage is between a man and a woman will not let me marry whoever I want. That’s a bummer," a user tweeted.
"This is a tough one, as I think streamlining the legal system for spouses and children of citizens is an area that needs to improve, know just how broken the current system is," somebody else opined.
What is Biden's Keeping Families Together program?
The Keeping Families Together program was aimed at promoting unity among mixed-status families. President Biden announced the program this June, and according to CBS, officials revealed at the time that around half a million unauthorized immigrants and 50,000 of their children were eligible for it.
The 16 states that challenged the program have accused the administration of overstepping on Congress for "blatant political purposes." AP has revealed that Texas is one of the championing states in the case. According to the lawsuit, the state spends tens of millions of dollars annually on healthcare and law enforcement to cover the costs incurred by illegal immigrants residing there.
Per the outlet, Barker noted that
“The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date."
The Biden administration can appeal Barker's ruling, but it remains to be seen if they do. The White House has yet to issue a statement regarding the same.
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