President Biden Announces Immigration Program for Unauthorized Immigrants Married to American Citizens

President Biden’s announcement of a large-scale immigration program on Tuesday has sparked both excitement and controversy. The program aims to offer legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship to roughly half a million unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens.

The Department of Homeland Security policy will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation protections if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and meet other requirements. Most importantly, the program will unlock a path to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship for many beneficiaries.

This move by President Biden is being compared to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, which currently protects “Dreamers” from deportation. The new program is expected to benefit around 500,000 unauthorized immigrants with U.S. citizen spouses, as well as an estimated 50,000 immigrant children.

The policy will provide two key immigration benefits, allowing eligible applicants to work and live in the U.S. legally on a temporary basis under the immigration parole authority. It will also help immigrants clear roadblocks in U.S. law that prevent them from obtaining permanent legal status without leaving the country.

While the Biden administration plans to open the program to applications by the end of summer, legal challenges are expected, particularly from Republican-led states. The State Department is also announcing a streamlined process for DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants to obtain employment-based visas more easily.

Overall, President Biden’s immigration plan represents a significant step towards providing a pathway to legal status and citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The impact of this program will be closely watched as it unfolds in the coming months.