Undocumented Spouses Exclusive and Biden’s Protective Action
President Biden has announced a “new action to keep families together”. He will be taking executive action to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. Spouses will be protected from deportation and be allowed to work legally in the U.S. while they seek legal status. The plan would protect about 500,000 immigrants from deportation.
What is Biden’s Undocumented Spouses Policy?
Biden’s new action to protect undocumented workers will be part of his election-year policy. It will allow noncitizens who have been in the country for at least ten years and are married to U.S. citizens to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country. Their children will be protected as well.
The order would go into effect in the summer. It would not protect people who recently came into the country. Rather it would benefit immigrants who have been here for years and are “paying taxes and contributing to our country”.
He noted that people who will be protected by the action have been in the country for an average of 23 years.
The program would also make it easier for immigrants to attain a green card, an important step to becoming a U.S. citizen. Undocumented spouses would also be allowed to obtain work permits on a case-by-case basis. It will also help DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) program recipients with higher education degrees receive work visas more quickly when seeking jobs in their qualified fields.
Biden’s bill is being called “the biggest thing since DACA”. DACA was announced by Barack Obama in 2012. It allowed children who came into the country illegally to stay and gain citizenship.
Biden called his action a “commonsense fix” to a system that is “cumbersome, risky, and separates families”.
Opponents of the Plan
Biden’s undocumented spouses policy is receiving blowback from Donald Trump and other Republicans. Trump revealed that Biden’s policy would be “ripped and thrown out” if he wins the November election.
“It’s been a nonstop catastrophe, but one of Joe’s most destructive moves yet is the lawless executive action he’s taken today,” Trump said at a Wisconsin campaign rally. “Under this program, a deluge of illegals will be given immediate green cards and put on the fast track to rapid citizenship so they can vote.”
Trump has made immigration and border issues a campaign priority. He said that “millions” of immigrants would benefit from the program. However, his statistics counter White House estimates.
According to the White House, there are 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and about 50,000 children of U.S. citizens and undocumented spouses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, also criticized Biden’s plan. He said it would grant “amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.” He also said it would “incentivize more illegal immigration and endanger Americans.”
Lawsuits are expected to arise between conflicting parties.
Biden’s Defense
Biden foresaw disagreements over the policy and emphasized that he has been addressing border crossing issues and working to target people-smuggling networks.
The administration released the following statement. “He (Biden) believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities are the social fabric of our country.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill, also spoke in Biden’s defense. He called the plan “the only action that will fully allow these deserving individuals to put down roots, start families, further their education, and continue contributing to our society without fear of deportation.”
However, he also acknowledged that, due to Republican opposition, a similar bill would be unlikely to get through Congress.