EXPLAINER
Joe Biden’s newest plan, introduced forward of the 2024 election, offers some undocumented migrants a pathway to United States citizenship.
United States President Joe Biden has introduced an initiative that may supply citizenship to roughly half one million undocumented immigrants married to US residents in a transfer forward of the November presidential election.
“The Statue of Liberty shouldn’t be some relic of American historical past. It nonetheless stands for who we’re,” Biden mentioned on the White Home on Tuesday, as he articulated his Democratic Get together’s line on immigration – a hot-button subject within the nation.
“However I additionally refuse to imagine that for us to proceed to be an America that embraces immigration, we now have to surrender securing our border. They’re false decisions,” he mentioned defending the curbs on asylum-seeking on the US-Mexico border introduced on June 4.
The transfer can even pave the best way for the youngsters of those immigrants to achieve US citizenship. A White Home assertion mentioned the transfer will “be certain that US residents with non-citizen spouses and youngsters can hold their households collectively”.
Right here’s extra in regards to the new programme introduced months forward of the presidential elections:
What’s Biden’s new immigration plan?
- Beneath the sweeping new immigration plan, undocumented spouses of US residents who’ve been residing within the US can request lawful everlasting residence whereas staying within the nation.
- Nevertheless, the requests won’t all be authorised and the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) will take into account these requests on a case-by-case foundation.
- To be eligible, the spouses should be married and residing within the US for at the least 10 years as of June 17, 2024, and “not pose a risk to public security or nationwide safety”, in response to a DHS truth sheet.
- The processing of everlasting residence functions can take months to years. These granted everlasting residency, referred to as getting a “inexperienced card” within the US, can apply for US citizenship.
- Earlier than this plan was launched, spouses residing within the US with out paperwork must journey to their residence nation and apply for citizenship at a consulate – a course of that might take wherever from three to 10 years.
- “They [undocumented spouses of US citizens] have to go away their households in America with no assurance that they are going to be allowed again in the USA. In order that they keep in America, however within the shadows, residing in fixed concern of deportation with out the flexibility to legally work,” mentioned Biden in a White Home speech, explaining why the previous system wanted a repair.
Migrants are taken into custody by officers on the US-Mexico border on January 3, 2024, in Eagle Move, Texas, the USA [Eric Gay/AP Photo]
Who will Biden’s immigration plan profit?
- The DHS truth sheet says that round 500,000 non-citizen spouses of US residents are eligible for the programme.
- Moreover, round 50,000 kids of those spouses are additionally eligible for this course of.
What are Biden’s different current immigration measures?
- On Tuesday, Biden introduced a separate coverage that may assist Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, additionally referred to as “Dreamers”.
- The DACA programme was launched in 2012 by the administration of former President Barack Obama, when Biden served as vice chairman, as non permanent deportation reduction for youngsters who got here to the US as undocumented immigrants with their dad and mom.
- Beneath Biden’s current programme, firms who make use of DACA recipients can apply for a piece visa for them, which might pave the best way for everlasting residency.
- Tuesday’s sweeping measures come two weeks after Biden imposed restrictions on the precise to hunt asylum on the US-Mexico border, which noticed a surge in unauthorised crossings final 12 months. Critics slammed Biden’s asylum restrictions, saying they mirrored the insurance policies of former president Donald Trump, who has pushed for hardline approaches to immigration. Immigrant rights teams have sued Biden over the June 4 border asylum restrictions.
Donald Trump has been criticised for his hardline anti-immigrant insurance policies [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]
How have Republicans reacted to Biden’s immigration programme?
- Donald Trump, Biden’s challenger: “Biden solely cares about one factor – energy – and that’s why he’s giving mass amnesty and citizenship to tons of of 1000’s of illegals who he is aware of will in the end vote for him and the Open Border Democrat Get together.”
- Mike Johnson, Home speaker: Biden is “attempting to play each side and is granting amnesty to tons of of 1000’s of unlawful aliens,” Johnson mentioned in an X submit. “That is proof-positive of the Democrats’ plan to show unlawful aliens into voters”.
- Rick Scott, US senator from Florida: “Whereas households battle to pay the payments, Biden is sending our deficit via the roof to pay free of charge housing & meals for unlawful immigrants,” Scott posted on X.
How essential is immigration to the 2024 elections?
- Biden’s current immigration insurance policies come lower than 5 months earlier than the November 5 election, by which Biden will face Trump.
- In accordance with Pew Analysis Middle surveys carried out in January 2024, round 57 % of People say coping with immigration needs to be a high coverage objective for the president and Congress this 12 months.
- This has elevated by 18 factors since Biden’s time period started as a consequence of rising concern amongst Republicans.
- A little bit over half of US voters help deporting all or most undocumented immigrants within the US, in response to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
- However, a ballot printed in April 2024 by the advocacy group Immigration Hub concluded that 71 % of voters in seven election battleground states supported permitting spouses who’ve lived within the US with out paperwork for over 5 years to stay.
