ButSpeak.com
News which Matters.
President Biden considers granting legal status to immigrants married to US citizens, potentially energizing liberal voters ahead of the 2024 election.
Key Points
- President Biden plans to announce a new initiative granting legal status to immigrants married to US citizens.
- The announcement could energize liberal voters ahead of the November 2024 election.
- The initiative aligns with calls from Democrats and immigrant advocates for greater protection of long-term US residents.
- The announcement is expected to coincide with the anniversary of the DACA program.
- An estimated 1.1 million immigrants in the US illegally are married to US citizens.
In a potential election-year boost for liberal voters, President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to announce a new initiative aimed at granting legal status to immigrants in the US illegally if they are married to US citizens. According to three sources familiar with the matter, this announcement could come as early as Tuesday at a White House event.
Biden’s move is expected to energize his liberal base as he seeks a second term in the upcoming November 5 election, where he will face Republican challenger Donald Trump, known for his hardline stance on immigration. The President has faced significant challenges with record numbers of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border illegally during his tenure and recently implemented a restrictive new asylum ban to curb the influx.
Some Democrats and immigrant advocates, who have opposed the asylum ban, have been calling on Biden to protect long-term US residents without legal status, including those married to US citizens. In April, Reuters reported that the White House was considering ways to provide legal status to these spouses.
White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez did not confirm any upcoming immigration relief but reiterated the administration’s commitment to addressing the broken immigration system. In a statement, Hernandez said, “Biden officials remain committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.”
On June 4, Biden hinted at upcoming announcements to make the immigration system “more fair and more just.” The anticipated announcement on Tuesday is expected to coincide with the anniversary of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
DACA, launched by former President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden, currently grants deportation relief and work permits to 528,000 individuals brought to the US as children. In addition to the potential new effort for spouses, the US State Department might introduce new guidance presuming DACA recipients eligible for non-immigrant visas if they leave the US, according to one of the sources.
Representative Nanette Barragan, a Democrat and head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, confirmed her attendance at the upcoming White House event and urged Biden to take action to protect the spouses of US citizens and DACA recipients. Barragan highlighted that Biden could differentiate himself from Trump, who has pledged to launch the largest deportation effort in US history.
“I think it could be significant for the lives of these people who are living in the shadows, who are married to American citizens and who are under threat of being removed from the country,” Barragan said in an interview.
An estimated 1.1 million immigrants in the US illegally are married to US citizens, according to data from advocacy organization FWD.us. However, it remains unclear how many of these individuals would be affected by the potential Biden action.
As Biden continues to navigate the complex landscape of US immigration policy, this new initiative could signal a significant step towards addressing the needs of immigrants while simultaneously bolstering his support among liberal voters.
