Despite intense criticism, President Joe Biden has pledged to make the US immigration system "more just."
President Biden is preparing to unveil a new policy to protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation. According to administration officials, this policy will apply to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and will grant them the ability to work legally in the US.
This initiative represents the most significant relief program for undocumented migrants in the US since the Obama administration's 2012 introduction of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The White House estimates that over 500,000 spouses of US citizens, as well as 50,000 young people under 21 with a parent married to an American citizen, will benefit from this new policy.
Earlier in June, Biden committed to making the US immigration system "more fair and more just." Immigration remains a key issue for many voters ahead of the presidential election this November.
The announcement coincides with an event on Tuesday marking the 12th anniversary of DACA, which has protected over 530,000 migrants who came to the US as children—known as Dreamers—from deportation.
On Monday, senior administration officials confirmed that undocumented spouses of US citizens would qualify for the new policy if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years and were married as of June 17. Eligible individuals will have three years to apply for permanent residency and will receive a three-year work permit. The White House estimates that those eligible have lived in the US for an average of 23 years, with a majority born in Mexico.
Under the policy, they will be "paroled in place," allowing them to remain in the US while their status is adjusted.
NumbersUSA, an immigration reform group, criticized the policy as “unconscionable.” James Massa, the organization’s CEO, stated that President Biden has overstepped his executive authority and circumvented Congress, sending a message that amnesty is available to those who enter the US illegally.
Alex Cuic, an immigration lawyer and professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, described the policy as a "start" for a segment of the US immigrant population that historically faced complications in normalizing their status. By allowing beneficiaries to parole in place, Cuic noted, the policy avoids the need to separate families when one spouse must leave the country to apply for lawful permanent residence.
A senior administration official indicated that the application process should be open by the end of summer.
Immigration has emerged as a primary concern for many US voters ahead of the November election. The White House also plans to expedite the visa process for highly skilled undocumented immigrants with US degrees or job offers in their field, including Dreamers.
Biden’s announcement follows an executive order issued two weeks ago, allowing US officials to quickly remove migrants entering illegally without processing their asylum requests once a daily threshold is met and the border is "overwhelmed." The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Biden administration, claiming the order violated US immigration law.
Biden urged those who find the measure "too strict" to "be patient." He emphasized that he would continue to address how to make the immigration system more fair and just in the coming weeks.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, suggested that while the two announcements are separate, the recent policy might help the administration gain positive attention following criticism over the border policy. He noted that the actions taken by the president aim to address concerns about both new arrivals and long-term undocumented immigrants navigating the complex immigration system. Photo by Maxinick11, Wikimedia commons.