Texas sues over Biden legalisation programme for immigrants married to US citizens

WASHINGTON: Texas and a coalition of Republican-led states on Friday sued President Joe Biden’s administration over a new programme that offers a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the US illegally and are now married to US citizens.

The lawsuit argues the programme, which began accepting applications on Monday, oversteps the administration’s authority to provide relief to those without legal status and circumvents the intent of US immigration laws.

The initiative, called Keeping Families Together, provides a path to citizenship to an estimated 500,000 immigrant spouses who entered the US illegally and have at least 10 years of residence. Without this option, many would need to leave the USfor 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 organisation 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.