Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC Praises President Biden’s New Policies for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens and DACA Recipients; Calls for Accessible Paths to Permanent Status
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Biden Administration announced a program designed to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who have resided in the U.S. for 10 or more years from deportation, allow those individuals to work legally in the U.S., and remove barriers to U.S. citizenship. Another new policy will allow immigrants, including DACA recipients, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment to more quickly receive work visas under certain conditions.
The White House estimates that this new process will help about half a million spouses of U.S. citizens and about 50,000 immigrant children whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen, many of whom have been waiting decades for legislative reform. More details will be available in the coming weeks: applications are not yet open, and implementation will take more time.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC issues the following statement:
“These policies are momentous for hundreds of thousands of families, including many Asian Americans. They will bring much-needed stability, not just for undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients who have been waiting years for immigration reform, but also for their spouses and families. Many families who have feared permanent separation can now breathe a sigh of relief.
“However, the work is not done. Like DACA before it, these new policies do not address the long-standing problems facing our immigration system. Many Asian immigrants will not qualify for this new relief because of provisions based on method of entry. That means too many families will continue to remain in the shadows with no path to permanent status. We must work towards policies that provide all immigrants, including DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status holders, and essential workers with accessible pathways to citizenship.
“We thank President Biden for this important policy. We urge him and Congress to continue prioritizing meaningful immigration reform and welcoming policies that keep families together. These policies, in contrast to those that focus on enforcement or attacks on asylum, are what the U.S. needs to remain a strong, moral, and prosperous nation.”