President Biden announced a new immigration program that will provide legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship for around 500,000 unauthorized immigrants who are married to American citizens. The Department of Homeland Security policy, known as “Parole in Place,” 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 pass criminal background checks. The program only applies to undocumented spouses who have lived in the U.S. for a decade or more and have American citizen spouses, with no provisions for future migrants. The president stated that these actions will take effect later in the summer.
The program estimates that approximately 500,000 unauthorized immigrants with U.S. citizen spouses will qualify for the Parole in Place program, requiring a legal marriage to an American citizen by June 17 and excluding those deemed a threat to national security or public safety. The average time these spouses have been in the U.S. is 23 years. This new initiative was announced during an event celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected minors brought to the U.S. as children. However, DACA has faced legal challenges, and a federal judge ruled it unlawful.
The program introduced by President Biden aims to provide a path to permanent residency (a green card) and eventual U.S. citizenship to its beneficiaries. Immigrants who marry American citizens are typically eligible for green cards, but current federal law requires those who entered the U.S. illegally to leave and re-enter legally for a green card, which can trigger a 10-year ban. The new program allows eligible immigrants to obtain green cards without leaving the U.S., and after five years of holding a green card, they can apply for citizenship. President Biden stated that the U.S. can secure its borders while providing pathways to citizenship, rejecting the idea that these are mutually exclusive goals.
The president criticized his predecessor and 2024 opponent for exploiting fears at the border, emphasizing that America can both secure its borders and provide legal pathways to citizenship. He highlighted the importance of maintaining the values symbolized by the Statue of Liberty while acknowledging that the fears and uncertainties of American people regarding immigration need to be addressed. He stated that previous policies have been manipulating these fears and that it is possible to balance border security with compassionate immigration policies. The proposed program would be the largest effort to protect undocumented migrants since DACA, if upheld in court.
Overall, President Biden’s new immigration program aims to provide a pathway to legal status, residency, and citizenship for unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens who have lived in the U.S. for an extended period of time, addressing challenges faced by mixed-status families and offering relief to those affected by previous immigration policies. The announcement reflects a commitment to comprehensive immigration reform that balances border security with providing opportunities for long-term residents to regularize their status and contribute to American society.
