President Joe Biden is expected to announce new rules on Tuesday that will protect up to half a million illegal immigrants from deportation as his presumed opponent, Donald Trump, signals that he will conduct mass deportations if he wins a second term in the White House.
The Biden administration’s new policy would ease the pathway to permanent residency for illegal immigrants married to U.S. citizens, The New York Times reported, citing officials familiar with the plan. It was first reported last week, and Tuesday’s formal announcement would mark the 12th anniversary of President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which protected some migrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.
Biden administration officials who were briefed on the new policy expect that it could affect up to 500,000 illegal immigrants, but the exact number remains unclear, according to the Times. Under the new rules implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, some illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens would be given an easier path to apply for permanent residency and work permits.
The president is also expected to announce a separate rule on Tuesday that would help DACA recipients, commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” receive work visas. Biden’s rules on illegal immigrants come as he faces an ongoing crisis at the southern border and voters voice their concerns about illegal immigration ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
A fact sheet from the White House on the new protections includes requirements that illegal immigrants must have lived in the country for at least 10 years and be legally married to an American to qualify, Fox News reported. An illegal immigrant approved under Biden’s program could apply for permanent residency after three years and be eligible for a work permit for up to three years.
“President Biden believes that securing the border is essential,” a White House spokesman said, according to Fox News. “He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country.”
Republicans, led by Trump, have slammed Biden for his handling of immigration and border security. The president, however, has remained unapologetic for his border policies — even as Customs and Border Protection has reported record numbers of border encounters in the past three years.
Asked earlier this month by Time Magazine if his humanitarian policies are to blame for “record illegal border crossing,” Biden simply responded, “No.”
Meanwhile, Americans continue to express their frustration with the unlawful border crossings as 62% of registered voters say they support a national program to deport all illegal immigrants, similar to a plan proposed by former President Trump, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll.
Trump has promised that if he wins in November, he will implement the “largest deportation” operation in U.S. history, calling illegal immigration “an invasion of our country.”
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