America is not a country that breaks up families.
That's why, in June, my Administration announced new actions to keep American families together. These married couples — in which one spouse is a United States citizen and the other has lived in the United States for 10 years or more — include our neighbors who are working, raising their families, paying taxes, worshiping with us, and sending their children to school. They have become our friends, our neighbors, and our co-workers. They are the parents of our children's best friends. They have become invaluable contributors to our communities. They make us a better country. Nothing I did changed the requirements needed for people to adjust their status under immigration law. All I did was make it possible for these longtime residents to file paperwork to be reunited here with their families. But without a process to keep families together, spouses of American citizens would not be able to stay in the United States until they obtain the long-term legal status for which they are already eligible. They will either be forced to abandon their families in the US, or live in the shadows in constant fear of deportation.
Last night a Texas district court ruled that our work to keep families together must stop. This ruling is wrong. These families should not be separated needlessly. They must be able to stay together, and my administration will not stop fighting for them.
I'm not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration; I'm interested in solving problems. Nor am I interested in breaking up families. That's not who we Americans are. I will continue to fight to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system.
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