U.S. to Refund $55 Million After Court Blocks Biden’s Immigration Program

The U.S. government is refunding $580 application fees to 94,000 unauthorized immigrants who applied for a program under the Biden administration.

The “Keeping Families Together” initiative aimed to offer temporary legal status and a path to residency for immigrants married to U.S. citizens. After a judge blocked the program, refunds totaling $55 million are now in the works.

Launched in June, the policy would’ve helped around half a million unauthorized immigrants who’d lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, offering a chance for legal status without serious criminal records.

However, the program was halted by a judge who sided with Republican-led states arguing it violated immigration law.

Even if it had passed, the program faced likely opposition under a potential Trump administration, which promised to undo Biden’s immigration plans. The initiative aimed to help long-term unauthorized immigrants who critics said were overlooked while the administration focused on border control.

Normally, marrying a U.S. citizen means a green card, but undocumented immigrants must leave and reenter legally to qualify. The program would’ve let them apply for a green card while staying in the U.S. and getting a temporary work permit.

The program was also set to help an estimated 50,000 undocumented stepchildren of U.S. citizens.