Houston area immigrant civil rights group FIEL gathered Tuesday afternoon to react to President Joe Biden’s announcement on immigration.
Biden announced his plans at an event at the White House, which will also mark the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a popular Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections and temporary work permits for young immigrants who lack legal status.
Biden’s administration will, in the coming months, allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship. The move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.
To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a U.S. citizen. If a qualifying immigrant’s application is approved, he or she would have three years to apply for a green card and receive a temporary work permit, shielded from deportation in the meantime.
About 50,000 noncitizen children with parents who are married to U.S. citizen could also potentially qualify for the process, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. There is no requirement on how long the couple must have been married, but no one becomes eligible after Monday. That means immigrants who reach that 10-year mark after Monday will not qualify for the program, according to the officials.
“It has been over a decade since any significant change has been made to our immigration Laws,” said Cesar Espinosa, FIEL executive director. “On the heels of the 12th anniversary of DACA we now have this announcement which will benefit many families of mixed status. We welcome these reprieves while renewing our commitment to making sure that we continue to work to achieve a comprehensive plan. We celebrate today and tomorrow we continue the work to push for a just and fair immigration system.”