HILSC has been tracking the status of the Biden administration’s “Keeping Families Together” program, also known as Parole in Place (PIP) since it was announced in June. The PIP online application went live on August 19, 2024 and USCIS has been able to accept and process the applications up to this point, even though Texas and 15 other states filed suit against the Biden administration on August 23, 2024, as we explained in this update.

The litigation has followed a winding but rapid pace, as you can see from the graphic to the right. However, on November 7, 2024, the judge in the federal district court in the Eastern District of Texas issued a “final judgment” declaring that the administration did not have the authority to issue individuals parole that is “in place,” i.e. inside the U.S., under the immigration laws of the United States. As part of the final judgment, the judge vacated the Keeping Families Together policy.

We do not yet know how this decision will impact those few people who were actually issued parole in place under the policy and those whose applications were submitted and are still pending. For individuals who were waiting to see the end result of the litigation before applying for PIP, we would recommend holding off for now. We do not yet have any information as to whether the administration will appeal this final judgment nor do we know if USCIS can/will continue to accept PIP applications.

For individuals who have been paroled under other programs available, such as CHNV, family reunification, CBPOne, and humanitarian parole to name a few, this decision does not impact those other programs. As soon as HILSC receives any additional information about the Keeping Families Together program and how the administration is going to proceed, we will post an update on our blog and our social media.