President Joe Biden's immigration policy, aimed at granting legal status to some spouses of U.S. citizens who entered the country illegally, has been overturned by a federal judge appointed by President-elect Donald Trump. Announced in June, Biden's 'Keeping Families Together' initiative sought to allow approximately half a million spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country, provided they had no disqualifying criminal history and posed no security threats. Trump, who recently secured a second term with a significant electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, has pledged to enforce stringent immigration policies as he returns to the White House.

He has committed to executing what he describes as the largest deportation of undocumented migrants in U.S. history and suggested that even some legally residing migrants might be deported. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker, appointed by Trump in 2019, ruled against the policy in favor of Texas and several other Republican-led states that sued to terminate it. The Biden administration's plan for appealing the decision remains unclear, but Trump could potentially discontinue the policy next year if the judgment were overturned. An inquiry for comments from the White House was made by Newsweek via email on Thursday night.

Ashley DeAzevedo, president of mixed-status families advocacy group American Families United, expressed disappointment, stating that Judge Barker's ruling not only dismantled the KFT program but also dashed the hopes of countless American families. Meanwhile, Trump has yet to clarify specifics regarding the implementation and budget for his mass deportation strategy. In a conversation with NBC News, Trump suggested there was 'no price tag' for the deportation initiative. However, the American Immigration Council estimates that Trump's plan, which could affect between 11 million to 14 million people, might cost around $315 billion, considering it a 'highly conservative estimate.'

Trump's deportation efforts may encounter resistance from Democratic governors overseeing three of the four states along the U.S.-Mexico border. Part of his strategy seemingly involves engaging local law enforcement and National Guard troops, activated by state governors' orders. While Republican-controlled state governors might try to use their National Guard troops in Democratic states, such actions would likely face legal challenges, complicating execution. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who often conflicted with Trump throughout his first term, has vowed to 'uphold the rule of law' in California during Trump's second tenure. Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law at Cornell University, noted that Democrat-controlled states and cities, particularly those with 'sanctuary policies,' might resist cooperation with Trump's directives, potentially hampering mass arrests and obstructing some deportations.