The Department of Homeland Security and officials of the Biden administration are facing a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of Texas and a coalition of 14 other Republican-led states. The lawsuit is centered around the recent changes made to immigration policy.
According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the current administration led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is actively striving to transform the United States into a nation without borders and without laws. Paxton firmly asserts that he will not allow such a scenario to unfold.
American First Legal (AFL) has partnered with Paxton in filing the lawsuit, expressing their concern that the implementation of this clearly unlawful program will only exacerbate the already immense immigration crisis. They believe that this initiative is just another evidence of the Biden-Harris administration’s disregard for the law and their intention to undermine the United States from within.
The first change in immigration policy was the implementation of a new program that permits illegal spouses of US citizens to remain in the country while their application for lawful residence is being processed. The second modification was a program that permits Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiaries and undocumented immigrants who have graduated from a US institution to stay in the country and apply for a work visa. Previously, if any of these persons requested for legitimate residence, they would be deported to their country of origin and forced to leave their homes while their applications were reviewed. However, the new programs avoid this outcome.
Biden has faced significant backlash from liberal groups for his executive order, which aims to prevent migrants who unlawfully cross the Southern border from receiving asylum. This security measure has drawn criticism from Amnesty International, who argues that it establishes a troubling international precedent by imposing a numerical cap on asylum, thereby limiting the number of individuals who can seek asylum in the United States and effectively closing off the U.S.-Mexico border.
In June, Biden issued an executive order that has had a significant impact on the country’s immigration policy. This policy, which aims to “keep families together,” enables immigrants who entered the US illegally to stay in America while their applications for lawful residence are being processed, as long as their spouse is an American citizen. Previously, these immigrants would be deported to their country of origin while their application was being processed and could only return if it was approved. However, this program only applies to individuals who have an American citizen spouse and have resided in America for ten years or more.
In 2012, the introduction of DACA by then-President Barack Obama marked a significant policy supporting immigrants. The program aimed to safeguard young undocumented immigrants from deportation. However, a district court in Texas declared DACA illegal in 2023. Consequently, new applications for the program are no longer accepted. Nonetheless, individuals who were previously accepted into the program will maintain their status. Those who retain their status and have graduated from a college in the US can now pursue work visas without the constant fear of being deported.
