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 will offer legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship to approximately 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 significantly, the program will unlock a path to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship for many of the beneficiaries.

“For those wives or husbands and their children who have lived in America for a decade or more, but are undocumented, this action will allow them to file paperwork for legal status in the United States, allowing them to work while they remain with their families in the United States,” President Biden stated.

This move by President Biden is the largest government program for undocumented immigrants since the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative, which currently shields over 500,000 “Dreamers” from deportation.

The program for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens will provide two key immigration benefits. It will allow eligible applicants to work and live in the U.S. legally on a temporary basis under the immigration parole authority. Additionally, it will help these immigrants clear roadblocks in U.S. law that prevent them from obtaining permanent legal status without having to leave the country.

The policy is expected to benefit approximately 500,000 unauthorized immigrants with U.S. citizen spouses, as well as an estimated 50,000 immigrant children with a parent who is married to a U.S. citizen. Undocumented stepchildren of U.S. citizens will also be eligible to apply for the parole process if they are under the age of 21.

While the policy is set to open for applications by the end of summer, it is likely to face legal challenges, possibly from Republican-led states. The State Department is also announcing a streamlined process for DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants who have graduated from U.S. colleges to more easily obtain employment-based visas.

Overall, President Biden’s immigration program marks a significant step towards providing legal status and a path to citizenship for a large number of undocumented immigrants in the United States.