District Court Extends Halt of Keeping Families Together PIP Approvals Through September 23

The Eastern District Court of Texas has extended its administrative stay of parole in place (PIP) approvals under the Biden Administration’s new Keeping Families Together program through September 23, 2024, from September 9. While the administrative stay is in place, PIP applicants can continue to submit Form I-131F parole in place applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); however, the agency will be prohibited from approving the applications during the stay period. The case is Texas et. al. vs. DHS et. al., Case No. 6:24-cv-00306 (E.D. Tex.).

The administrative stay is renewable, should the court find that good cause exists to extend it for additional periods while litigation continues. The purpose of the administrative stay is to pause approvals under the PIP program while the district court considers its legality. The court has set an expedited litigation schedule, which could result in a district court decision on the merits in the coming months. However, appeals are likely, regardless of which party prevails at the district court level.

In the meantime, USCIS has confirmed that the agency will continue to accept PIP applications and capture applicant biometrics under the “Keeping Families Together” program. The agency has also confirmed that the PIP approvals that were issued prior to the initial administrative stay order at 6:46 PM ET on August 26, 2024, remain valid.