On Monday, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Biden-Harris Administration’s attempts to implement a “parole in place” program that would have awarded a pathway to citizenship to illegal aliens who are the spouses of American citizens.

As reported by Just The News, the decision was the result of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 16 Republican-controlled states, led by Texas. The lawsuit sought to block the program, due to its implementation being the result of illegally bypassing Congress for “political purposes.”

U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker ultimately agreed with the coalition of states, issuing his administrative stay on the program for at least two weeks while he hears the argument from the plaintiffs.

“The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date,” Barker wrote in his opinion.

The “Parole in Place” program had launched just last week, allowing illegal aliens who are married to American citizens to remain in the country legally so that they can apply for green cards. Requirements include having lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, having no criminal history, and having been married to a citizen by June 17th.

Previously, illegal aliens who had married Americans could still apply for green cards but had to leave the country during the application process, which would take several years.

In addition to Texas, the 15 other states involved in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.