The Fifth Circuit Court froze lower court proceedings pending an appeal hearing on October 10. While USCIS can still accept and process applications for the Keeping Families Together program, it is temporarily barred from approving them. On September 4, 2024, District Judge J. Campbell Barker extended the stay preventing USCIS from granting parole through September 23, with a hearing set for September 18. Previously, on August 26, Judge Barker issued a stay halting parole grants for 14 days. Sixteen Republican-led states filed a lawsuit on August 23 to block the program. USCIS remains unable to approve applications amid the ongoing legal challenge.
