The Biden administration has announced an executive order that will reshape the immigration landscape for families across the United States. This measure is set to regularize the status of over half a million undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, providing a pathway to citizenship and integrating them more fully into the U.S. economy.The new policy, which has been celebrated by the Mexican government and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will also extend benefits to approximately 50,000 children of these couples. It is designed to prevent family separation and offer greater stability and certainty about their future. The plan will utilize ‘parole’ to offer temporary protection from deportation and the opportunity to obtain a work permit, valid for three years.Eligibility for these new protections requires that non-citizens have resided in the U.S. for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen. While the move has been welcomed by advocacy groups and Democratic leaders as a historic victory for families and the economy, it has also drawn criticism from Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who has accused Biden of encouraging an ‘invasion’ and has vowed to repeal the plan if re-elected.Despite the divisive political responses, the Biden administration remains steadfast in its commitment to family unity and economic strengthening. The executive action is seen as an olive branch to progressive critics and may appeal to voters in battleground states. The policy is expected to go into effect this summer, with the application process streamlined to alleviate long wait times at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Key points
- Biden’s immigration policy will regularize the status of over half a million undocumented immigrants married to U.
- The policy aims to prevent family separation and provide a path to citizenship through a legal figure known as ‘parole’.
- While Mexican authorities have praised the measures, Trump and his campaign criticize them as promoting illegal immigration.
- The executive order is expected to take effect this summer, ahead of the November general elections.
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