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The lawsuit argues the program, which began accepting
applications on Monday, oversteps the administration's authority
to provide relief to those without legal status and circumvents
the intent of U.S. immigration laws.
The initiative, called Keeping Families Together, provides a
path to citizenship to an estimated 500,000 immigrant spouses
who entered the U.S. illegally and have at least 10 years of
residence. Without this option, many would need to leave the
U.S. for years before being able to return legally.
Republicans have made illegal immigration a central focus of the
Nov. 5 presidential election where former President Donald
Trump, a Republican, will face off against the Democratic
candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
America First Legal, an organization led by Trump adviser
Stephen Miller, served as co-counsel in the lawsuit alongside
Texas and 15 other states with Republican attorneys general.
Miller, a driving force behind Trump's restrictive policies
during his 2017-2021 presidency, called the Biden program
"brazenly unlawful" in a statement.
Keeping Families Together also allows some 50,000 children under
age 21 with a U.S.-citizen parent to obtain temporary "parole"
status that creates a path to citizenship.
White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said the
Texas lawsuit aimed to separate families and "goes against our
nation’s values."
Texas has repeatedly clashed with the Biden administration in
court over immigration and border issues.
A federal appeals court in July said Texas could keep a large
floating barrier in the Rio Grande River intended to block
migrants illegally crossing from Mexico.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by David
Gregorio and Diane Craft)
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