On the twelfth anniversary of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the Obama Administration Executive Order that protected Dreamers from deportation, President Joe Biden unveiled another Executive Order designed to protect families where one spouse or child is an undocumented immigrant and keep them together.
This Executive Order, according to the White House Briefing Room, will:
- “Ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
- Help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
- Promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
- Cover eligible, noncitizens must – as of June 17, 2024 – have resided in the United States for ten or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
- For those approved by the Department of Homeland Security, be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible.
This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.”
Furthermore, the Executive Order would “ease the VISA process for college graduates including Dreamers” if they secure employment in the United States “in a field related to their degree.”
The President, accompanied by the First Lady, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and many Dreamers who have benefited from DACA, announced the new Executive Measure at a White House Ceremony earlier this afternoon.
Saying “Today is a good day,” the President immediately reminded those gathered that his Comprehensive Immigration Reform measure, introduced on the first day of his administration, contained this measure but unfortunately, thanks to MAGA Republican obstructionism, never got off the ground.
Later in his remarks, Mr. Biden blasted Republicans in Congress for following the calling of Traitor and 34 Times Convicted Donald ‘I don’t want border security’ Trump in not enacting the most sweeping bipartisan border security measure in decades, saying:
“Two weeks ago I did what Republicans in Congress refused to do. I took action to secure our border. That included restricting unlawful crossings at our Southern border and making decisions on asylum more quickly…So far it’s working. Since we implemented my order, encounters have dropped 25 percent…and we’re seeing the lowest numbers in a long time…We took this step after the bipartisan agreement, which one of the most conservative Republican Senators had helped work through and over a four or five-week period, the strongest bipartisan security agreement that’s ever been seen. But we were about to move forward when Republicans walked away from the deal for the most pathetic and petty of reasons. Donald Trump got on the phone, literally, and started, and the press can confirm this, calling Senators, saying don’t go ahead and do this. Don’t support this legislation that had bipartisan support. When he was asked why, he said ‘It would hurt him politically and helped me instead.'”
“So much for Republicans caring about the border… Every Nation must secure its borders. It’s just that simple. Trump and the Republicans wouldn’t do it working with me and I would do it on my own and I did.”
A few moments later, after reminding the audience of the many benefits of the DACA program to the United States, President Biden explained his new Executive Order:
“So today I’m announcing new measures to clarify and speed up work visas to help people, including Dreamers that have graduated from U.S. colleges and universities land jobs in high demand, high-skill professions that we need to see our economy grow…I want those who have been educated in U.S. Colleges and Universities to put their skills and knowledge to work for us here in America. We want to keep building the strongest economy in the world with the best workforce in the world…”
“…Ask business leaders! Ask Labor leaders! Ask Economist! Ask elected officials! They know it’s (this Executive Order) is good for American Business. They know it’s good for the American economy. They know it’s good for America period…”
“The second action, I’m announcing today is about keeping families together. My dad had an expression. He said Joey, families are about the beginning, middle, and the end. About keeping couples together who are married. Where one spouse is a US citizen and the other is undocumented. They’ve been living in the United States for at least ten years. These couples have been raising families, sending their kids to church and school, paying taxes, and contributing to our country for ten years or more. As a matter of fact, the average time they spend here is 23 years. People in the United States All this time, they have fear and uncertainty. We can fix that and that’s what I’m going to do today…”
“…Today I’m announcing a common-sense fix to streamline the process for obtaining legal status for immigrants married to American citizens who have lived here for a long time. For those wives or husbands and their children who’ve lived in America for a decade or more but are undocumented, this act will allow them to file paperwork for legal status in the United States (as opposed to traveling to their home countries…)”
“..Let’s be clear. All undocumented immigrants are required legal paperwork to remain in the United States. It requires them to pass criminal background checks and it doesn’t apply to anyone trying to come here today.”
“It (the Executive Order) doesn’t tear families apart. It requires every undocumented spouse to fulfill their obligations under the law. Look the action I’m announcing today will go into effect later this summer. And by the way, just as was true and the protection of dreamers the steps I am taking the day are overwhelmingly supported by the American People. No matter what the other team says. In fact, polls show over 70 percent of Americans support this effort…”
“…It’s simple. It embraces the American principle that we should keep families together...”
The President closed his remarks by reminding the audience that America should be a welcoming country and a nation of immigrants that can solve any problem at the border, not the white nationalist dystopia Donald ‘concentration-detention camp’ Trump would gladly preside over, saying:
“I refuse to believe that in order to secure our border, we have to walk away from being an American. The best generations have been renewed, revitalized, and refreshed by the talent, the skill, the hard work, the courage, and determination of the immigrants coming to our country. The Statue of Liberty is not some relic in American History. It still stands for who we are.”
“But I also refuse to believe for us to continue to be Americans that embraces integration, we have to give up securing our border. Those are false choices. We can both secure the border and provide legal pathways to citizenship.”
“We have to acknowledge that the patience and goodwill of the American people is being tested by the fears of the border…These are the fears my predecessor is trying to play on when he says immigrants and his words are poisoning the blood of the country. When he calls immigrants in his words, animals. When he was President, he separated families and children at the border. And now he’s proposing to rip spouses and children from their families and homes and communities and place them in detention camps. He’s actually saying these things. It’s hard to believe it’s being said, but he’s actually saying these things out loud and it’s outrageous.”
“Folks I’m not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration. I’m interested in fixing it. I said it before. and I’ll say it again today. I will work with anyone to solve these problems. That’s my responsibility as President. That’s our responsibility as Americans. Because a simple truth is there’s not a single damn thing we can’t do if we put our minds to it. We got to remember who in the hell we are. We’re the United States of America and nothing is beyond our capacity.”
Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement supporting the Executive Order, commenting:
“Immigrants have always made America stronger. For generations, they have served in our military, taught in our classrooms, and led our small businesses as entrepreneurs. They are our neighbors, classmates, and loved ones. And their experiences, ambitions, and aspirations power our communities, economy, and country each day.
That is why from Day One of our administration, President Joe Biden and I have worked to protect immigrants, keep families together, and expand lawful pathways to citizenship. Working with advocates and organizers from across the nation, we have rejected hateful attacks on immigrants, preserved and fortified DACA, increased access to affordable health care, and expanded economic opportunity.
Today, we are building on that work by taking bold action to bring relief to an estimated half a million spouses of American citizens who have been here in the country for a decade or more and their children. They deserve our protection and should be allowed to remain with their families and contribute to our communities while they apply for a green card.
President Biden and I are also expediting work visas for Dreamers who have graduated from college in the United States and have a job offer from a U.S. employer. We value their contributions and want them to continue to unleash their skills, ideas, and potential right here in the country that has invested in their success, to the benefit of our economy and our communities.
While today’s actions are a significant step forward, there is more work to be done to fix our broken immigration system. That includes the need for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. President Biden and I continue to call on the United States Congress to join us in acting by passing permanent protections for Dreamers.”
Reaction from some of Arizona’s Leaders.
After the issuance of the Biden Executive Order, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs posted on social media:
Senator Mark Kelly responded through a statement:
“Decades of federal inaction on meaningful immigration reform have upended the lives of American families where one or more members, like a parent or spouse, are undocumented immigrants. These families deserve to be together without the fear that they can be separated at any moment.
“As we continue working towards immigration reform that secures our southern border and keeps families together, this proposal will protect thousands of families in Arizona with deep roots in our communities.
“I’m glad today’s announcement also recognizes the value and talent of Dreamers—who are as American as my own two daughters—by allowing them to access employment visas so they can more fully participate in our economy. This will help make their future, and the future of our country, brighter.”
Leaders of the Arizona Latino Caucus at the State Legislature also praised the Executive Order.
State Representative Lydia Hernandez, the wife of a Mexican National, offered:
“The announcement today is very much welcome, much needed and long overdue — although it’s not as broad as I or any immigration activists or attorneys would like it to be. It’s going to bring relief for spouses and for mixed-status families such as mine who have gotten caught up in that backlog. This will impact millions of people and that’s important because we are a significant contributor to the state and to the country, we are the backbone of this economy.”
State Senator Anna Hernandez conveyed:
“This move by the Biden Administration is a huge deal for Arizona. The worry and pain that mixed-status families have endured are the direct result of decades of failed immigration policy at the federal level. Democrats have consistently called for keeping families united and this day marks a key step forward in the fight to make our people and our nation whole.”
State Representative Mariana Sandoval commented:
“I am elated to learn that President Biden is taking action to keep families together and to address the issue of mixed-status families. Although this is a step in the right direction, it is only a Band-Aid, and we must comprehensively reform our immigration laws.”
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