The Biden Administration is making a concerted effort to court immigration advocates prior to elections in November, following a period where some of his immigration policies resembled those of former President Trump. Apparently, the current President is gearing up to announce a significant executive action aimed at shielding certain undocumented immigrants from removal. This announcement could come as early as next week, and comes on the heels of the Biden Administration’s continued assault on asylum seekers.
This new measure is expected to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens through an existing mechanism known as “parole-in-place.” While this policy is only available to family members of U.S. military personnel at the moment, the Administration is expected to expand the program to spouses of U.S. citizens. If granted parole-in-place, the intending immigrant spouse may apply for adjustment of status (lawful permanent residence) without having to leave the U.S., even if they initially entered the country without inspection.
Multiple sources indicate that Biden plans to reveal this initiative on Tuesday at a White House event celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
A PIP policy for spouses of U.S. citizens will alleviate some of the immigration-related stress and uncertainty faced by Americans. Expanding parole programs can help streamline the immigration process by providing a clear, structured pathway for undocumented spouses to regularize their status. By allowing certain family members to remain in the U.S. and adjust status, PIP expansion can ameliorate some of existing provisional waiver backlog by reducing the number of people who need the waiver in order to complete the immigrant visa process.
Additionally, keeping families together strengthens the social fabric of the nation. Allowing spouses of U.S. citizens to adjust status helps avoid the separation of families due to deportation, contributing to the emotional and psychological well-being of both the immigrant and their citizen family members.
Despite the clear benefits of such policies, including family unity, economic contributions, and improved social integration, there is little doubt that states such as Texas and Florida can and will sue to stop the implementation of such a policy. However, they have not yet had much success when it comes to curtailing the parole authority of the Executive Branch.
It is important to note that nothing has been proposed or announced as of yet and final decisions on additional executive actions are still pending. White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández confirmed that the administration is actively exploring various policy options, reaffirming their commitment to tackling the country’s broken immigration system.
Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story, as we bring you the latest news and insights on these critical immigration reforms and their implications.