A federal court in Texas has put a temporary halt to an executive order that could potentially grant amnesty and a path to citizenship to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants residing in the United States.
The executive order, which was frozen by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, was initially issued by the White House earlier this year. It aimed to provide deportation protections and other benefits to undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens, according to court documents. This decision by the court comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by a group of Republican-led states against the Biden-Harris administration, seeking a temporary restraining order on the executive order.
As reported by WND, the executive order was met with significant opposition. Stephen Miller, President of America First Legal, celebrated the court's decision, stating, This is a huge victory in our courtroom battle to block the Biden-Harris executive fiat giving over 1 million illegal aliens a path to U.S. citizenship. He further added, That executive decree is now frozen. America First Legal is deeply honored to partner with Attorney General Paxton, Attorney General Labrador, along with 14 other states to fight this unconstitutional mass amnesty.
The executive order was initially signed by President Joe Biden in June during a White House celebration of the 12-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The order was designed to provide deportation protection, work permits, and a pathway to legal status to illegal immigrants married to American citizens. The White House estimated that up to half a million undocumented immigrants could potentially benefit from the program.
The criteria for acceptance into the amnesty program required that illegal immigrants be legally married to a U.S. citizen, provide proof of residing in the U.S. for at least 10 years, and receive approval from the Department of Homeland Security, which evaluates each applicant on a case-by-case basis.
The Biden-Harris administration employed an authority known as parole-in-place to implement the amnesty order. This strategy eliminates barriers in U.S. law that prevent noncitizen spouses who entered the country unlawfully from obtaining green cards without first leaving the country, thereby providing them a pathway to permanent legal status.
A coalition of sixteen states, led by Millers America First Legal, and Texas and Idaho, filed a lawsuit last Friday, deeming the program unconstitutional and seeking a temporary restraining order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton voiced his opposition, stating, Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the federal government is actively working to turn the United States into a nation without borders and a country without laws. I will not let this happen.
Paxton further criticized the executive order, saying, Bidens new parole workaround unilaterally grants the opportunity for citizenship to unvetted aliens whose first act on American soil was to break our laws. This violates the Constitution and actively worsens the illegal immigration disaster that is hurting Texas and our country.
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