Undocumented spouses of US citizens to receive legal status
This initiative will target those who have resided in the country for at least a decade, granting them the ability to work legally in the U.S.
President Joe Biden is preparing to introduce a new policy aimed at preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, according to administration officials.
This initiative will target those who have resided in the country for at least a decade, granting them the ability to work legally in the U.S.
This policy represents the most significant relief measure for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. since the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012.
The White House estimates that over 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens will benefit from this policy, along with 50,000 young individuals under 21 whose parent is married to an American citizen.
Earlier in June, President Biden committed to reforming the U.S. immigration system to be "more fair and more just." Immigration remains a top concern for many voters as the presidential election approaches in November.
The announcement precedes an event on Tuesday commemorating the 12th anniversary of the DACA program, which protected more than 530,000 immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers, from deportation.
On Monday, senior administration officials stated that undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens would be eligible for the new policy if they had been in the country for at least 10 years and married by June 17.
Eligible individuals will have three years to apply for permanent residency and will be granted a three-year work permit.
The White House believes that the average eligible individual has been in the U.S. for 23 years, with most originating from Mexico.
These individuals will be "paroled in place," allowing them to stay in the U.S. while their immigration status is adjusted.
NumbersUSA, an immigration reform advocacy group, criticized the policy as “unconscionable.” The group's CEO, James Massa, accused President Biden of overstepping his executive authority and bypassing Congress to offer what he views as amnesty to those who entered the U.S. illegally.
