Parole in Place Annulled for Undocumented Spouses

Federal Judge Annuls «Parole in Place»
Beneficiaries Left Without Legal Protection
States Question Biden’s Authority

A federal judge has annulled the «parole in place» policy of Joe Biden’s administration, leaving hundreds of thousands of undocumented individuals married to U.S. citizens in a legal limbo.

The decision was made this Thursday by District Judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed by former President Donald Trump, who concluded that the Biden administration had exceeded its authority.

This policy, implemented earlier this year, provided temporary legal status and work permits to spouses and certain stepchildren of U.S. citizens, protecting them from deportation.

Since its inception, «parole in place» was met with criticism from 15 states led by Texas, which filed a lawsuit to stop the measure.

Parole in Place for Undocumented Spouses Annulled

| BREAKING: Federal judge annuls Joe Biden administration’s «parole in place,» which granted legal status to undocumented individuals married to U.S. citizens.

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— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) November 8, 2024

Barker had previously temporarily suspended the policy while reviewing the case. Now, issuing his final ruling, he declared that Congress never granted the Executive the powers to implement such relief.

«The defendants’ view,» Judge Barker wrote, «stretches legal interpretation beyond its breaking point,» referring to the limits of executive authority over immigration law.

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Beneficiaries of the policy had requested to intervene in the case to defend the measure. However, the judge denied that request, leaving them without direct representation in the dispute.

The policy targeted undocumented individuals who have been in the United States for at least 10 years and who are spouses or stepchildren of U.S. citizens, using a mechanism known as «parole in place.»

According to CNN estimates, the scope of this measure was broad, potentially affecting between 750,000 and 800,000 people who now face an uncertain situation.

Had it been maintained, this program would have been one of the largest immigration relief initiatives since the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012.

The DACA program, designed to protect young immigrants brought to the country as minors, is also under judicial scrutiny.

A previous judicial ruling declared DACA illegal, although it allowed the program to continue for its current enrollees while awaiting an appeal.