President Joe Biden’s new immigration program aims to assist almost half a million unauthorized immigrants marry to American citizens.
This approach will allow them to remain in the United States legally and eventually become citizens. The policy is slated to begin later this summer.
Currently, if someone marries a US citizen, they can apply for a green card, which is a step toward lawful residency in the United States.
However, if they entered the United States illegally, they must normally leave the country and return legitimately in order to qualify.
Biden’s new proposal eliminates this condition, so these immigrants will not have to abandon their families and face a 10-year restriction on returning.
The new program, known as “Parole in Place,” will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and protection from deportation.
To be eligible, they must have lived in the United States for at least ten years and satisfy additional conditions, such as a criminal background check.
This program is only for current immigrants in the United States and does not apply to future migrants.
President Biden stated from the White House, “Today, I’m announcing a simple solution to make it easier for immigrants married to American citizens who have lived here for a long time to obtain legal status.”
He underlined that this will benefit spouses and children who have lived in America for more than a decade but lack documents.
This reform is likely to benefit approximately 500,000 unauthorized immigrants who are married to United States citizens. Those who represent a security risk will not be eligible.
This announcement came on the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Obama launched. DACA, which protects immigrants from deportation, has lately been challenged in court.
If the courts agree with this strategy, it will be the most significant federal step to safeguard unauthorized immigrants since DACA.
In his speech, President Biden lambasted his political opponents and argued that America can maintain its borders while yet providing a legal path to citizenship.
“The Statue of Liberty stands for who we are,” Biden stated. “We do not have to choose between being a hospitable country and protecting our borders.
We can do both. We need to alleviate concerns about our border security, which are sometimes exacerbated by incorrect information.”
Under this new policy, immigrants who have lived in the United States for five years with a green card can petition to become citizens, making them full members of the community.