Biden Opens Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Married to Americans

The Biden administration in the United States is expected to announce a new immigration policy program on the 18th (local time) that will open the door to citizenship acquisition for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, according to the daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to the report, the program allows undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to work legally within the United States without being deported, and after a certain period, they can obtain permanent residency and citizenship. An administration official stated, "We expect the application process to begin by the end of summer."

This is expected to be the largest immigration policy program announced in recent decades. WSJ compared it to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program announced by former President Barack Obama in 2012, saying it is "comparable to the measure that benefited 'Dreamers' (DACA recipients)." The White House plans to commemorate the 12th anniversary of DACA on the same day as the announcement of the new immigration policy program.

In particular, this move draws more attention as it comes shortly after President Biden implemented tough immigration policies such as border closures ahead of the November election. WSJ reported that Biden’s advisers have been considering for months that they need to offer a "sweetener" that benefits long-term immigrants already residing in the U.S. to avoid anger from immigration advocates and Latino voters with family members lacking legal status. In other words, this is a measure to alleviate the political burden caused by border closures.

Moreover, the program is a kind of "temporary protection" system that has been applied in the past for military families. It has been confirmed that the Biden administration had agreed to such relief measures early on. Internal Democratic Party polls also showed that most Americans support granting legal status to spouses of U.S. citizens, which strengthened the policy’s implementation. Currently, those who enter the U.S. illegally at the border cannot obtain legal status even if they marry a citizen.

WSJ explained, "The new program is backed by immigration law provisions," adding, "Applying for permanent residency will become much easier, and even if former President Donald Trump wins the election and takes office, it cannot be easily revoked."