Immigration is quickly proving to be one of the most hot button issues of the 2024 election cycle. Recently, President Joseph Biden passed new legislation changing aspects of the United States’ immigration policy. To demonstrate stricter border security, part of the new set of laws includes measures reducing the amount of undocumented immigrants who can apply for asylum and increasing law enforcement at U.S. borders.
Legislation has also been signed into law protecting the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from deportation, by allowing those who are eligible for lawful permanent residence to apply without having to leave the country and while still being eligible for work authorization for a grace period of three years. Though applications are not yet available at this time, this “parole-in-place” program will allow hopefuls to continue on the path to legal residency in the U.S. without risking years of painful separation from their families.
The application process is anticipated to become public in late summer or early fall of 2024, when the full set of guidelines is finalized. To qualify, noncitizens must have resided in the U.S. for 10 years as of June 17, 2024, be legally married to a U.S. citizen, and fulfill all applicable legal requirements for U.S. citizenship. The Biden administration estimates that about 500,000 spouses and 50,000 children, who will be eligible for parole alongside their parents, will be able to receive aid under this program.
In addition, further legislation has been passed to support young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and remain undocumented, including “Dreamers,” recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act intended to protect them from deportation and aid them in gaining U.S. citizenship.
Many Dreamers have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives, and are now young adults pursuing higher education, building careers, and using their skills to improve their communities and make their country strong. These new measures will streamline the process of receiving work visas for undocumented youth who have earned a degree at an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. and received a job offer from a U.S. employer in their field.
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