The U.S. government will return millions in application fees to unauthorized immigrants who sought benefits through a Biden administration program halted by a federal court. Nearly 94,000 applicants who paid $580 each will be reimbursed, totaling approximately $55 million, according to internal documents obtained by CBS News.
What Was the Program?
Announced in June, the Keeping Families Together initiative was designed to help certain undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The program offered temporary legal status and a path to permanent residency for those who had lived in the U.S. for over 10 years without serious criminal records. Importantly, it eliminated the need for applicants to leave the U.S., which would normally trigger a lengthy reentry ban under current immigration rules.
The policy also extended protections to thousands of undocumented stepchildren of American citizens, granting them work authorization and a chance to apply for legal permanent residency without leaving the country.
Legal Roadblocks
Just months after the program’s launch, a federal judge in Texas struck it down. The court ruled the policy exceeded executive authority, siding with Republican-led states that challenged its legality. As a result, the program was suspended indefinitely, leaving thousands of applications unprocessed.
In its ruling, the court blocked USCIS from accepting new applications and ordered the agency to cease evaluating those already submitted.
Refunds Confirmed
In response to the court’s decision, USCIS announced plans to refund the application fees.
“Given that the program cannot move forward due to the court’s decision, it is in the public interest to refund fees paid by applicants who sought benefits in good faith,” the agency said in a statement.
USCIS said refunds will be processed automatically for those who applied to the program.