In his order, Barker said he decided on the temporary stay after undertaking a "first-blush review" of the merits of the states' arguments. "The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date," the judge wrote.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on X called the program an "unconstitutional scheme" following the judge's order. "This is just the first step," Paxton said. "We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law."
The U.S. government in court filings called allegations that the program will incentivize unauthorized immigration "baseless." The government also said there's no valid claim states will be harmed by this program.
Obtaining legal status after marrying a citizen is a long and cumbersome process that requires people who entered the U.S. without authorization to move to their home country for at least 10 years.
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