A federal judge on Thursday struck down a policy aimed at helping undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens gain legal status, dealing a blow to outgoing President Joe Biden and about half a million people eligible for the program.

The decision comes just days after Donald Trump won the presidential election on a promise to combat illegal immigration and launch a massive deportation effort.

The “Keeping Families Together” policy, which was previously suspended following a legal challenge, allowed certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. nationals to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country, as was previously required.

Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas, appointed by Trump during his first term in the White House, ruled that federal agencies “lack statutory authority” for the program.

Biden announced “Keeping Families Together” in June, at the height of his re-election bid, before dropping out of the race the following month.

During the election campaign, Asset » Biden and his Democratic replacement, Vice President Kamala Harris, hammered about a record spike in illegal border crossings over the past year.

A coalition of Republican-led states, including Texas, filed a lawsuit to block the program, arguing it would cost them millions of dollars in public services, including health care, education and maintenance. of order.

The program would apply to immigrants who have been in the country for at least 10 years and who were married to a U.S. citizen before June 17, 2024, and would also apply to approximately 50,000 stepchildren of U.S. citizens.

Judge Barker temporarily halted the program in August, then again after an appeals court lifted the stay.

Biden officials could appeal Barker’s decision, but the new Trump administration is unlikely to continue defending it.

“Deeply disappointing”

“Today’s decision is a deeply disappointing and unfair setback for families who live under the weight of uncertainty every day,” said Harold A. Solis, co-legal director of Make The Road New York, a NGO supporting immigrants.

“‘Keeping Families Together’ and all it stands for — family unity, opportunity and stability — is our immigration system at its best. We must and will continue to support family unity despite the dangerous decision today.”