By Lucy Adautin
President Joe Biden is set to introduce new regulations on Tuesday that will simplify the procedure for undocumented spouses of US citizens to gain permanent residency, according to the White House.
This move is part of the Biden administration’s attempt to navigate the complex terrain of immigration policy, a significant concern for many Americans as the November presidential election approaches.
Biden aims to adopt a firmer stance on illegal immigration while differentiating himself from the stringent policies of his Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
These new regulations will not broaden the criteria for permanent residency but will streamline the application process for those who are already eligible. That includes by removing a requirement they leave the country as part of the application process.
The new rules would apply to those present in the country for at least 10 years and married to a US citizen before June 17, 2024 which the administration estimates to include some 500,000 people. In addition, some 50,000 stepchildren of US citizens would be eligible.
Those approved would be granted work authorization and the right to stay in the United States for up to three years while they apply for permanent residency. Once someone has permanent residency also known as a green card that person could in theory later apply for citizenship.
“What we are announcing are potentially streamlined processes… (to) minimize the bureaucracy, minimize the hardship that having to leave the country creates,” a senior administration official told reporters ahead of the announcement.
However, “only Congress can deliver… comprehensive reform of our immigration and asylum laws,” added another official.
Previously, a bipartisan immigration package proposed by Biden in Congress aimed to introduce the most stringent policies in decades. The effort fell apart when Republicans withdrew from the agreement.
Recently, Biden signed an executive order to close the border to asylum seekers after certain daily limits are reached. This move immediately faced criticism from the left and a legal challenge from rights groups.
The administration has defended its asylum order, describing the congressional push as “the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades.”
Trump, on the other hand, has referred to immigrants as “poisoning the blood of the country” and has pledged mass deportations of those in the country illegally.
Additionally, on Tuesday, the Biden administration plans to streamline the process for undocumented individuals who arrived in the US as children known as Dreamers to obtain work visas if they have graduated college and secured a “high-skilled job offer.”
