Washington, D.C. – Last week, over a dozen states led by a group of hateful, anti-immigrant attorneys general, sued the Biden Administration for its newly initiated “Keeping Families Together” Parole in Place program. This life-changing program would help keep hundreds of thousands of mixed-status families together without the threat of deportation, access to work authorization, and a potential pathway to adjust status without having to leave their family and risk separation. Importantly, applications for the program are still open, and the Home is Here campaign continues to encourage eligible individuals to apply.
Bruna Sollod, Senior Political Director of United We Dream, said:
“The goal of this lawsuit is to disrupt and ruin the only opportunity hundreds of thousands of families and communities across the country would have to benefit from the life changing ‘Keeping Families Together’ program. Bold and courageous young immigrants and allies have fought back and will continue to fight against anti-immigrant attacks. The majority of Americans believe that families should stay together and immigrants have a home in this country. We can’t let a hateful few –including those behind SB4 and other inhumane legislation– determine the livelihoods of millions. We must continue to come together, show up for immigrants, and be on the side of keeping families together.”
Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us, said:
“This is a baseless legal attack, focused entirely on the politics of trying to go after immigrants and American families, against a highly popular and lawful policy. The new Parole in Place program, which supports families who have built their lives together over an average of nearly 25 years, is already working effectively. The only motivation behind this lawsuit is the cruelty of tearing families apart and the crass politics of hoping a judge might do the bidding of the anti-immigrant movement.
This is a clear choice: Should hundreds of thousands of American families, with spouses who have lived here for a quarter century, be allowed to remain together or all be subject to family separation and mass deportation? This program is in full compliance with immigration law, with even the most prominent anti-immigrant think tank acknowledging Congress authorized the usage of parole in place for family unity.
“This case should be promptly dismissed to prevent further harm to families and to reject the anti-immigrant movement’s political objectives. We will stand firm to make certain the same people who tried to end DACA, and the architects of the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance family separation agenda, fail yet again.”
Ivonne Rodriguez, Director of Communications of America’s Voice Education Fund, said:
“This lawsuit demonstrates that the opponents of immigration are committed to separating families. The effort is being led by America First Legal, a non-profit run by Gene Hamilton, co-author of Project 2025, and Stephen Miller, the architect of the Trump administration’s policy, to rip thousands of children from their parent’s arms. The ‘Keeping Families Together’ program they are attacking is about providing much-needed relief to mixed-status families where one member is a U.S. citizen and another is undocumented and applying for legal status. This is about the long-term security of these families in the U.S., free from fear of deportation, so they can build a life for themselves and stronger communities. We cannot allow bad actors who continue to choose separating families over solutions to continue to endanger American communities.”
Iliana Perez, Executive Director of Immigrants Rising, said:
“As the name implies, Keeping Families Together was designed to protect and unify mixed-status families of U.S. citizens. It was meant to open opportunities for immigrant spouses and children of U.S. citizens to seek lawful permanent residency without fear of deportation and denial at the discretion of an immigration officer. We unequivocally denounce this lawsuit that tears families of U.S. citizens apart and disrupts the stability of the nation.”
