President Joe Biden is considering a new initiative to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, potentially energizing liberal voters in an election year.
Biden is expected to announce the initiative at a White House event as early as Tuesday in the coming week, Reuters reported, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the evolving nature of internal plans.
Biden, a Democrat, is campaigning for a second term in the Nov. 5 election, facing off against Republican challenger Donald Trump, who is known for his strict stance on immigration.
Biden has faced a surge in illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and implemented a new asylum ban to curb this, a move criticized by Democrats and immigrant advocates.
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They have urged him to protect long-term U.S. residents without legal status, including spouses, Reuters added.
In April, Reuters reported that the White House was exploring options to grant legal status to spouses.
White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez did not confirm imminent immigration relief but affirmed Biden’s commitment to reforming the immigration system.
Biden mentioned on June 4 his plans to address immigration fairness and justice in the coming weeks.
The White House event on Tuesday will coincide with the anniversary of the 2012 DACA program, initiated by former President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden.
DACA has provided deportation relief and work permits to 528,000 individuals brought to the U.S. as children.
According to sources, the U.S. State Department may introduce new guidance suggesting that DACA recipients should be presumed eligible for non-immigrant visas if they travel outside the U.S., Reuters added.
Representative Nanette Barragan, a Democrat and leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, confirmed she will attend the White House event and urged Biden to protect spouses of U.S. citizens and DACA recipients.
Barragan highlighted Biden’s opportunity to contrast himself with Trump’s aggressive deportation stance.
According to advocacy organization FWD.us, an estimated 1.1 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally are married to U.S. citizens.
However, the specifics of how many would be included in Biden’s potential action remain unclear, Reuters added.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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