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 US for years before being able to return legally.

Republicans have made illegal immigration a central focus of the November 5 presidential election.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024