The Biden administration is reportedly working on one of the largest immigration relief programs in recent history, aiming to offer legal status to hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the U.S. without proper documents. The program, known as “Parole in Place,” would provide work permits and deportation protections to unauthorized immigrants who have been living in the country for at least 10 years and are married to U.S. citizens. This initiative would also create a pathway to permanent legal status and citizenship for some beneficiaries by removing barriers in U.S. law that prevent undocumented individuals from obtaining green cards without leaving the country.
In addition to the “Parole in Place” program, the Biden administration is also working on streamlining the process for DREAMers and other undocumented immigrants to request waivers that would make it easier for them to obtain temporary visas, such as H-1B visas for high-skilled workers. While these measures could potentially be announced as early as Tuesday, a final plan has not yet been set in stone. The administration is preparing to mark the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Tuesday, which shields around 530,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.
Democratic lawmakers have been invited to the upcoming immigration event at the White House, although no final decisions have been made yet. The planned “Parole in Place” policy would represent the largest immigration program for unauthorized immigrants since the inception of DACA in 2012. It is estimated that there are approximately 1.1 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. who have American citizen spouses, making them potential beneficiaries of the initiative. Overall, there are about 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. unlawfully, according to government estimates.
President Biden has been increasingly willing to take executive actions on immigration in the lead-up to the presidential election in November. His recent executive action to partially ban asylum claims at the southern border has already faced legal challenges. The proposed “Parole in Place” program is expected to face similar obstacles, including potential lawsuits from Republican-led states. Republican lawmakers, including Sen. James Lankford, have voiced opposition to any form of amnesty for those living in the U.S. illegally.
Despite potential legal challenges and opposition from Republican lawmakers, the “Parole in Place” policy could improve President Biden’s chances of gaining support from Latino voters, particularly those in mixed-status families who would benefit from the program. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has previously administered a more limited “Parole in Place” program for military families, allowing some undocumented immigrants who are immediate relatives of U.S. service members or veterans to obtain green cards without leaving the country. The new program would expand on this existing initiative to benefit a larger population of unauthorized immigrants.
