For Immediate Release: November 8, 2024
Contact: Christiaan Perez, media@hispanicfederation.org
Hispanic Federation Condemns the Court’s Decision to Strike Down Keeping Families Together; Decision Only Serves to Highlight the
United States’ Broken Immigration System
Washington, D.C. – On November 8th, the Federal Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the Keeping Families Together Program, also known as Parole-in-Place, a program allowing certain long-tenured undocumented members of mixed-status families to apply to adjust their status while remaining in their communities with their families. Below is a statement from Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation:
Hispanic Federation is pained and indignant at yesterday’s federal court ruling to shutter the Keeping Families Together program, despite its potential to allow some 50,000 children and almost 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for adjustment into documented status while remaining with their loved ones and in their communities. Now, the court’s decision has prematurely ended this common-sense, humane program. Having navigated the pains of being separated from my partner for so many years as we maneuvered past the hurdles of our immigration system, I know personally how inhumane and heartbreaking the process is when you’re separated from your loved one because of our antiquated and illogical immigration system.
This ruling, set in motion by a cynical lawsuit launched by a minority of states only days after the program began, is an attack not only on hard working immigrants, but also on their families, communities, and the American dream itself.
The court’s logic that this policy produced no “significant public benefit” is flat out wrong, and underscores a pessimistic perspective on immigration and general well-being. Keeping Families Together would have supported greater stability and mitigated the psychological toll of living with the looming and constant threat of deportation – being separated from husbands, wives, and or children – for contributing members of our society who don’t have any other path to documentation. Furthermore, the court’s insistence against public benefit strains the bounds of credibility, passing into cruelty and potential financial ruin for sectors that depend on these workers.
HF was honored to support applications to this program during its brief lifespan. Over a few days, HF worked with nine partner organizations to process nearly 200 applications. Even as we mourn the opportunity denied to thousands, we celebrate the transformational outcome accorded in those first few days. Through compassionate policy and hard work, hundreds of people – spouses, stepchildren, parents, friends – can continue their lives with greater hope and security.
The court emphasized that Congressional action is required to achieve transformational immigration policy. On that count, we stand in agreement. Judicial intervention has illustrated the limits of executive authority to effect lasting immigrant justice. The American people are adamant in demanding transformative solutions to immigration, and a robust majority prefer expanding pathways to citizenship. We implore Congress to answer these calls, continuing the evergreen American project of a more perfect union.
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Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latinos. With programs in 40 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
