President Biden on Tuesday announced new protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have lived in the United States illegally for years but are married to American citizens.
Under the new policy, about 500,000 undocumented couples will be protected from deportation and given a path to citizenship and the ability to work legally in the United States. It is one of the most expansive presidential actions to protect immigrants in more than a decade.
Mr. Biden will celebrate the program during a White House ceremony on Tuesday marking the 12-year anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which protects people who came to the United States as children from deportation.
The decision comes as Mr. Biden tries to balance one of the most dominant political issues in 2024. Knowing that many Americans want a tougher policy on the border, Mr. Biden just two weeks ago announced the crackdown that delayed the long-standing guarantee. anyone entering the US has the right to seek asylum here.
Mr. Biden also expected on Tuesday to outline a separate act that would make it easier for young undocumented people, many of whom are known as Dreamers, to access work visas.
Almost immediately after issuing the order, White House officials began privately assuring progressives that the president would also help undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years, according to people familiar with the conversation, who said on condition of anonymity to reflect their personalities. talk.
Tuesday’s move could help Mr. Biden overcome some of the concerns raised by the asylum ban among members of his progressive base, who accuse the White House of betraying a campaign promise to create a more humane approach to immigrants.
The new benefits for undocumented spouses will not take effect immediately; a senior Biden administration official said the program would be launched by the end of the summer. Those who are eligible can then apply for the benefits.
Marrying an American citizen generally provides a pathway to US citizenship. But people who cross the southern border illegally — instead of coming to the country with a visa — must return to their home country to complete the green card process.
This means long separation from spouse and family. The new program allows families to stay in the country while achieving legal status.
To be eligible, couples must have lived in the United States for 10 years and married an American citizen as of June 17. They cannot have a criminal record. The benefits will also extend to the 50,000 children of undocumented couples who are stepchildren of American citizens.
The latest policy could help Mr. Biden in swing states like Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, where more than 100,000 voters in each state live in “mixed status” households, according to the American Business Immigration Coalition, which represents hundreds of companies. and support proposed policy changes.
“It’s about what rights, and it’s about what smarts,” said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada, who said Mr. Biden’s actions will boost the economy in the country. “The road to the White House goes through Nevada, and the people of my state are paying attention.”
Mr. Biden relied on a program called “parole in place,” which has been used for other populations, such as families of military members. The status allows non-citizens to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.
In the days before the announcement, some allies of former President Donald J. Trump have seized on the policy to accuse Mr. Biden of being weak on border security. “This is an attack on Democracy,” Stephen Miller, the architect of Mr Trump’s anti-immigration policy, said on social media on Monday.
One person who could be directly affected is Ashley DeAzevedo, head of American Families United, whose husband is undocumented. Her group supports mixed-status families like hers. The couple has been married for more than ten years and has an 11-year-old child.
“It’s going to be an absolute game changer to not have to worry about being separated, because now they can technically be removed,” he said. “There’s a concern that he might get pulled over or something like that. It could be, you know, just a disaster for our family.
While some Democrats applauded Mr. Biden’s new policy for undocumented couples, many immigration advocates remain concerned about the longevity of the original program that the White House will celebrate on Tuesday.
In the years since President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012, it has benefited hundreds of thousands of young adults, enabling them to secure jobs and live without fear of deportation.
But DACA has been closed to new applicants since 2017, when Mr. Trump tried to end the program. It remains entangled in litigation, and its long-term survival remains in question, although it has been turned over to the heirs there. Current DACA participants are, on average, in their mid-30s.
Recipients who were once children afraid of their parents being deported “now their parents are afraid of being deported,” said Bruna Bouhid-Sollod, senior political director of United We Dream Action, an advocacy group for DACA recipients.
Mr. Biden seems intent on addressing these fears with an upcoming policy that will ease the process of Dreamers being sponsored for work visas by their employers, and will ease the way for green cards. The administration is expected to issue guidance in the coming days that will benefit current DACA recipients and others who have been shut out of the program since Mr. Trump took office.
“It’s really scary for me that DACA could end,” said Monica Sandoval, 32, an emergency room nurse in Columbus, Ind., who signed up for the program immediately after it was announced.
Mrs. Sandoval has renewed every two years, enabling her to keep her job and her nursing license.
He hopes the new process will allow his employer, a regional hospital, to sponsor him for a work visa and green card.
“This is going to change my life,” said Ms. Sandoval, who was brought to the United States at the age of 12 and is the mother of two children. “It will bring security to me and my children, and I will know that I can continue to do the work that I love.”
