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Texas Court Temporarily Blocks Biden’s Immigration Policy for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
A Texas court has issued a temporary halt to a key immigration policy aimed at easing the process for spouses of U.S. citizens to obtain legal status. The ruling marks a significant setback for one of President Joe Biden’s major immigration reform initiatives.
The order, delivered by Judge Campbell Barker, imposes a 14-day administrative stay following a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general from 16 U.S. states.
These states are challenging the legality of the Biden administration’s policy, which was introduced in June to streamline pathways to legal residency for an estimated half a million immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
Biden’s policy sought to simplify the immigration process for spouses by eliminating the requirement for applicants to leave the United States during the process.
Instead, those who already meet the qualifications for permanent residency would be allowed to stay in the country, reducing the risks and hardships that could arise from temporary separation.
The new rules specifically apply to immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least ten years and are married to American citizens before June 17, 2024. It also extends to an estimated 50,000 stepchildren of U.S. citizens.
Those eligible under this policy would receive work authorization and temporary legal status for up to three years, allowing them to stay in the country while applying for a green card—a critical step toward achieving full U.S. citizenship.
However, the 16 states challenging the policy argue that it places a financial burden on their resources, including healthcare, education, and law enforcement services used by immigrants.
They claim that the new regulations would result in millions of dollars in costs to state public services, intensifying the legal debate over the reform.
The court’s decision to temporarily block the policy is seen as a significant obstacle for Biden’s immigration agenda, and the legal battle is expected to continue as both sides prepare for further hearings.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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