A Texas federal judge on Thursday struck down a Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) rule that allows illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for residency.
The ruling sets aside a “parole in place” process announced in August that would have meant the illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens could apply for legal status and temporarily remain in the United States. If approved, they could then pursue a green card and, eventually, U.S. citizenship, if they met certain eligibility criteria.
The criteria included having lived in the United States continuously for at least 10 years, having no disqualifying criminal history, and being married to a U.S. citizen by June 17….