Biden’s Proposal Could Grant Citizenship to 500,000 Individuals

President Joe Biden is introducing a new initiative to provide relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S., in an effort to balance his recent tough actions at the border that upset advocates and many Democrats.

The White House revealed on Tuesday that the Biden administration plans to allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and ultimately, citizenship in the coming months. This move could impact as many as half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.

To be eligible, an immigrant must have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years as of Monday and be married to a U.S. citizen. If approved, the immigrant would have three years to apply for a green card, receive a temporary work permit, and be protected from deportation in the meantime.

About 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent married to a U.S. citizen could also potentially qualify for this process, as stated by senior administration officials. There is no requirement for the length of the marriage, and individuals must reach the 10-year mark before June 17, 2024, to be eligible for the program.

The application process is expected to open by the end of the summer, with fees still to be determined.

Biden will discuss these plans at an event at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Additionally, new regulations will be announced to make it easier for certain DACA beneficiaries and other young immigrants to qualify for established work visas.

The policy Biden is enacting with this announcement builds on authority used by previous presidents to allow “parole in place” for family members of military members. This process enables qualifying immigrants to pursue U.S. permanent residency without leaving the country, addressing a common obstacle for those without legal status but married to Americans.

This announcement follows Biden’s recent border crackdown, which suspended asylum claims for those entering between official ports of entry. Immigrant-rights groups have challenged this directive, which has reportedly reduced border encounters between ports, according to a senior administration official.