President Joe Biden is planning to unveil a new immigration policy on Tuesday to lift the threat of deportation for hundreds of thousands of people married to U.S. citizens.
The decision is seen as an aggressive election-year tactic that aligns with the demands of many Democrats.
The announcement will take place at a White House event celebrating the Obama-era "Dreamers" directive, which provided deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants.
The new policy will allow approximately 490,000 spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for a "parole in place" program, according to sources who spoke to Associated Press.
It will shield them from deportation and grant work permits, provided they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years.
The policy marks a significant step for Biden, who began his presidency with a commitment to provide relief for the millions of immigrants without permanent legal status.
However, his recent implementation of a restrictive asylum policy at the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn criticism from his political allies, and hence the new policy announcement is aimed at addressing their concerns.
Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, shared her optimism about the policy, anticipating "tears of joy paired with some sighs of relief" from affected families. Families expected to benefit from the new policy will attend the White House event.
The new program not only offers deportation protections and work permits but also removes a legal barrier that has prevented qualifying immigrants from applying for permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
This authority has previously been used for other immigrant categories, such as members of the U.S. military or their undocumented family members.
Speaking at a June 4 event, Biden had talked about the need for a fair and just immigration system while he also discussed the need to secure the border. He indicated that further announcements would follow to address broader immigration system reforms.
Biden is also expected to announce measures to make recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program eligible for visas, moving beyond the temporary work authorizations they currently receive.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has been urging Biden to act to shield the spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and to consider a policy to provide work visas to graduates of U.S. colleges who came to the country without authorization as children.
