WASHINGTON, D.C. – FWD.us President Todd Schulte released the following statement today in response to a federal district court’s decision to issue a temporary “administrative stay” that halts the implementation of the Biden-Harris administration’s "Keeping Families Together" Parole in Place (PIP) program:

“Tonight’s decision is deeply disappointing. This is an unsound and devastating blow to hundreds of thousands of American families across the country who are now thrown back into fear and uncertainty that their loved ones will be cruelly separated from them for years due to outdated immigration laws. While this temporary stay is a significant legal setback, it is critically important to note that tonight’s decision does not prevent the federal government from accepting new applications as this case continues making its way through the courts.

“The Keeping Families Together Parole in Place program was crafted with the express purpose of supporting families who have built their lives in this country for an average of a quarter century. By barring its implementation after the program is already functional, the court has chosen to side with those who seek to sow fear and division rather than uphold the principles of justice and family unity.

“This is a politically-driven lawsuit that we believe will ultimately be defeated – the Keeping Families Together program is in full compliance with immigration law, with some of the most prominent anti-immigrant think tanks acknowledging Congress authorized the usage of parole in place for family unity. FWD.us will continue to fight for the rights of immigrant and American families and work tirelessly to ensure that this harmful decision is reversed. We stand with the hundreds of thousands of American families whose lives are at stake, and we will not rest until this vital program is fully implemented.”