Biden Takes Steps to 'Appease Core Supporters'... "We Are a Nation of Immigrants"

"Trump, Political Play with Border and Immigration"
US Citizenship Granted if Married

To curb illegal immigration, U.S. President Joe Biden, who recently issued an executive order, has now criticized former President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies. Analysts interpret this as an effort to secure the 'core supporters' such as immigration advocates and Hispanic voters with family members lacking legal status.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 18th (local time), President Biden criticized former President Trump for exploiting Americans' fears about border issues during the 12th anniversary event of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program held at the White House, stating, "I am not interested in playing political games with the border or immigration; I am interested in solving the problem."

He emphasized securing the border while not completely blocking immigration, which is part of America's identity.

President Biden said, "We are a nation of immigrants," adding, "We can secure the border while providing a legal path for immigrants to become citizens."

President Biden also announced the implementation of a new program allowing undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to obtain legal permanent residency without leaving the country. To qualify for this program, applicants must be legally married to a U.S. citizen and have resided in the U.S. for more than 10 years as of June 17 of this year.

Additionally, the policy announced that day included simplifying the issuance of work visas for DACA recipients who have earned a college degree and received a job offer from a U.S. employer.

Earlier, on the 4th, President Biden announced plans to implement an executive order banning asylum applications from illegal immigrants and forcibly deporting them to their home countries. The order grants the president the authority to close the border if the number of immigrants attempting to cross illegally exceeds an average of 2,500 per day over a week. This move is seen as an effort to block Republican attacks on the Biden administration's pro-immigration policies as illegal immigration becomes a major issue in the presidential election just over five months away.

However, concerns are growing that this could alienate traditional Democratic supporters such as immigration advocates and Hispanic voters with family members lacking legal status, leading to interpretations that exceptions are also being considered simultaneously.