Federal Judge Dismisses Texas Lawsuit Challenging Biden Immigration Program as Texas Lacks Standing

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Biden administration's immigration program after a lawsuit by Texas Republican officials seeking to shut it down was dismissed. This decision preserves a policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to fly to U.S. airports, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battles over immigration policies.

The Controversial Program

The dispute revolved around a program announced in January 2023, which permits up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. each month if they have American financial sponsors. Those allowed to enter under this policy have been granted two-year work permits under an immigration authority known as humanitarian parole, utilized at an unprecedented scale by President Biden.

Texas Lawsuit Dismissed

Texas filed a lawsuit against the program, arguing that it bypassed limits set by Congress on legal immigration levels and violated the spirit of the parole authority. However, U.S. District Court Judge Drew Tipton ruled that Texas lacked legal standing to sue over the policy due to a failure to demonstrate "suffered injury" resulting from the program. The case was dismissed, but no ruling was made on Texas' claims regarding the legality of the federal initiative.

Impact and Numbers

As of February 8, over 365,000 individuals from the four aforementioned countries have arrived in the U.S. under the Biden administration's sponsorship policy, according to internal Department of Homeland Security data. This ruling marks a significant legal victory for the Biden administration, aimed at addressing unprecedented levels of migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Reactions and Surprising Outcome

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, both vocal critics of Mr. Biden's immigration policies, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The survival of the sponsorship program was welcomed by the White House, which highlighted its success in expanding lawful pathways for nationals from the four countries while decreasing the number of border crossings.

Tipton's decision came as a surprise, considering his previous rulings against Biden administration immigration rules. However, he acknowledged the significant decline in illegal entries along the U.S. southern border by migrants from the four countries after the sponsorship program was announced.

Immigration Data

Customs and Border Protection statistics indeed show a sharp drop in unlawful border crossings by migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua over the past year. While illegal crossings by Venezuelans have fluctuated, there has been an overall impact on reducing the number of migrants entering the United States.