As the US election draws near, the debate on immigration issues is heating up. Prosecutors from 20 states, including New York, along with the District of Columbia, recently jointly submitted a “Friend of the Court” letter in support of the Department of Homeland Security’s simplified immigration spousal reunification policy “Keeping Families Together,” setting a clear stance against the federal judge in Texas who is the original plaintiff.
The argument presented to the Eastern District of Texas Federal Court pointed out that the federal government has the authority to implement the “Keeping Families Together” policy to protect family reunification. Led by Attorney General Janet Lo, the alliance of state attorneys general also stated that maintaining family reunification has been a hallmark of US immigration policy for decades and should be upheld.
State Attorney General Janet Lo stated, “The ‘Keeping Families Together’ plan provides a path to citizenship for families of different immigration statuses without the fear of being separated. This is a common-sense policy and the reason why I’m leading the alliance of state attorneys general to support it, helping mixed-status families in New York and across the country.”
In June 2024, under the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security introduced the “Keeping Families Together” initiative, allowing undocumented spouses and minor stepchildren of US citizens residing in the US for over 10 years to apply for immigration parole. Once granted, they can directly apply for permanent residency in the US without leaving. An estimated 500,000 immigrant spouses and 100,000 minor children are expected to benefit from the “Keeping Families Together” program.
However, due to lawsuits filed by 16 Republican states, Federal Judge J. Campbell Barker of Texas issued a preliminary injunction on August 26 and began hearing the case.
In the recent “Friend of the Court” letter submitted by the 20 states and the District of Columbia, the state attorneys general argued that the federal government has the authority to decide and implement the immigration parole program. The document cited several past parole immigration programs implemented by the US government to prove federal authority.
Furthermore, the letter argued that promoting family reunification is not only a core principle of US immigration policy but also beneficial for families, neighborhoods, communities, and local economic development.
Joining New York’s Attorney General in submitting the “Friend of the Court” letter, attorneys general from 19 states include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia.