Federal judge strikes down Biden program for undocumented immigrants

Catch up quick: The Biden administration created the program in June after pressure from immigrant rights groups.

• If it had gone into effect, spouses of U.S. citizens who had been married for at least 10 years would have had an expedited process to get legal status and also be granted three-year work permits.
• Texas and 15 other states sued, saying the program was harmful to them and would encourage more unauthorized migration.
• U.S. District Court Judge J. Campbell Barker put the program on temporary hold in August pending the lawsuit.

Driving the news: Barker said in his ruling Thursday that the administration doesn't have the authority to create such a program.

• He sided with Texas, which argued that the program would have burdened it with costs associated with education and health care.

What they're saying: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a post on X that the ruling was a "HUGE win for the rule of law."

• Missouri was one of the states that sued.

Ashley DeAzevedo, president of American Families United, said Barker "shattered the hopes of hundreds of thousands of American families."

• She added that the people who would have benefited from the program have "contributed to our communities, helped grow our economy, and built lives with their loved ones."

What we're watching: The U.S. government could appeal to a higher court, though it's not likely the incoming Trump administration would defend it.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.