US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced new protections for undocumented immigrants married to US citizens and those with higher education degrees.
Two weeks after signing an executive order authorizing the closing of the southern border to undocumented immigrants under certain circumstances, the Democratic president is taking a left turn this time.
One of the announced measures is the objective Keeping American Families Together
Targets hundreds of immigrants with irregular status married to US citizens.
They are protected from deportation and can apply for permanent residency without leaving the country.
Currently, these immigrants must leave the United States years before they can apply for the popular green card, and many leave for fear of never coming back.
These couples raised families, sent their children to church and school, paid taxes, and contributed to our country.
Surrounded by members of Congress and beneficiaries of the Obama-era immigration program, Mr. Biden argued.
They live in fear and uncertainty in America. We can fix it.
To qualify for this action, they must have lived in the United States for at least a decade and meet the usual legal prerequisites, including a criminal background check.
About 500,000 immigrants will be eligible, according to the White House, which estimates that those eligible have lived in the U.S. for an average of 23 years.
The measure will extend to 50,000 children under the age of 21 whose parents have an American spouse.
Individuals approved for eligibility have three years to apply for permanent residency after their application is evaluated by the Department of Homeland Security.
These are the most important protections granted to immigrants in years.
If elected, former Republican President Donald Trump would not be able to revoke the green cards issued, but he could curtail the process.
A spokesman for his campaign described Joe Biden's plan as an amnesty A new call for illegal immigration
.
Echoing his sentiment, Speaker of the House of Representatives Republican Mike Johnson, President Biden Amnesty granted hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens
.
According to the American Business Immigration Alliance, cited The New York TimesThe Biden administration's new policy could help Democrats in southern states — Arizona, Georgia and Nevada — each with more than 100,000 voters. mixed condition
.
More than half of US voters say they favor deporting all or most illegal immigrants in the US, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Work permits can be easily obtained for dreamers
Another initiative announced by Joe Biden would allow some beneficiaries of the Obama-era immigration program. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), as well as young immigrants who lacked access to it after the election of Donald Trump, are quickly getting work permits.
They can benefit from this measure if they have a master's degree from an accredited US institution and have received a job offer from a US employer in their field of study, such as science and technology.
The Democratic leader chose to announce these two new initiatives at a ceremony marking the program's 12th anniversary. DACAIt protects young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation Dreamers.
Donald Trump's administration tried to end the program in 2017, but faced a veto by the Supreme Court. This confirmed the security Dreamers enjoyed for practical reasons three years later.
If the former President cannot cancel the scheme DACA For the young immigrants who had access to it, he was able to block any new demands.
Last year, however, a federal court in Texas ruled the program illegal, ruling that Barack Obama exceeded his powers. The case is likely to be heard again in the Supreme Court.
A new part of the migration plan in a few weeks
With the election just four months away, Joe Biden is trying to find balance in the face of a critical election issue.
Earlier this month, he announced an executive order to curb illegal immigration as the flow of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border reached record highs.
The immigration policy, which has angered progressives and immigrant rights advocates in the party, is one of the most restrictive ever adopted by a Democratic president.
Joe Biden has been mulling unilateral gestures for months, especially after a bipartisan deal on border security failed.
Last January, Donald Trump urged his camp to reject it A borderline bad deal
was Worse than disagreeing
.
The former Republican president, who has made immigration his main battleground, promised a “massive national exodus” for his part. [de migrants] of American history.
In a press interview TimeIf re-elected, he announced that he would implement more aggressive immigration policies than during his term.
Irregular immigration is one of the voters' priorities, especially in the wake of the migration crisis that made headlines late last year. As of December, about 10,000 people tried to cross the southern US border every day.
Since then this number has decreased significantly, but remains high.
US National Guard soldiers in Eagle Pass, Texas on the border with Mexico on September 30, 2023.
Photo: Getty Images / John Moore
According to a Gallup poll conducted last April, one in four Americans see immigration as the most important problem facing America.
In a sign of the issue's importance, last February Joe Biden and Donald Trump contested the US border with Mexico.
However, there is a way to convince voters that the outgoing president is the man for the job of ensuring the security of their nation's borders, and the issue resonates beyond Republican circles.
According to a Marquette Law School poll conducted in May, 52% of Americans have more confidence in Donald Trump on immigration and border issues, compared to 25% who favor the current tenant of the White House.
With information from The New York Times, The Washington Post and Reuters
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