The Keeping Families Together program known as the PIP or Parole in Place was a program established by President Biden in August 2024 aimed at allowing certain spouses and children of US citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country.
Legal Challenges
A few days after it was launched on August 19, 2024, 16 States filed a lawsuit on August 27, 2024 arguing that the President overstepped its authority and asked that its implementation be suspended.
On November 7, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas stopped the program entirely, ruling that the federal government lacked the authority to enact this program.
USCIS released an announcement on November 13, 2024 as a result of the court order stating that (1) they are not accepting any I-131F or request for parole under the Keeping Families Together; (2) all biometric scheduled appointments are cancelled.
Refunds of Filing Fees
As of this writing, the PIP remains suspended; as a consequence, USCIS suspended processing of all existing applications. Beginning January 6, 2025, USCIS has begun the process of refunding checks of $580 filing associated with the vacated Keeping Families Together (“KFT”) Parole program. All applications filed prior to the order of suspending the program shall be administratively closed and thus, refunds are being issued to applicants.
For individuals who paid by credit card, the refund will be by credit card and should happen in the next 1-2 weeks. And for those who paid by debit card, the refund will be issued by check by ICE. This process may take 5-6 weeks.
(Atty. Lourdes Tancinco is an immigration attorney and immigrant rights advocate based in the San Francisco Bay area and a partner at the Tancinco Law P.C., law firm established since 1992. She is also a producer/host of Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika, an immigration law informational show aired on GMA Pinoy TV. She may be reached at law@tancinco.com, www.tancinco.com, facebook/tancincolaw, or at 1-888-930-0808)
