Biden’s Announcement on Immigration a Win for American Families and Our Economy

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Administration’s Actions Will Help 500,000 Families and Many More DACA Recipients

WASHINGTON, DC— According to recent reports, the Biden-Harris administration plans to formally unveil on Tuesday new policies that will remove barriers to U.S. citizenship for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and their children who have resided in the country for 10 years or more and will also provide work permits for many more DACA recipients.

UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía released the following statement in anticipation of the White House’s announcement:

“The announcement by President Biden is a godsend for 500,000 American families and will provide a considerable boost to the U.S. economy and to community stability across the country. This commonsense policy will allow spouses and children with deep family and economic roots in the U.S. to finally access the work and family visas for which they qualify and give families the much-needed stability they need to prosper. This action will also prevent the senseless deportations of productive members of our communities, keep American families together, and enable them to contribute fully to strengthening our economy.

“The spouses in these families have resided in the U.S. for an average of 23 years, which means that they have long-standing roots in our economy and our country.  Relief for the long-residing undocumented population is the top immigration priority for Latino voters, as confirmed by the last UnidosUS poll, among others.

“In addition, potentially tens of thousands of DACA recipients will be eligible for work visas, allowing them to leverage their college degrees under current immigration rules. This policy builds on the notable success of the now 12-year-old DACA program and could give some DACA recipients much-needed permanent status.

 “The announcement removes current barriers faced by both groups to access green cards and eventual citizenship. With more than 11 million mixed-status families across the United States, this is an issue which touches nearly every state and community in the country.

“We applaud President Biden and the Biden-Harris administration for doing what Congress has been unable or unwilling to do: act to provide common sense and compassionate immigration relief. We will continue to work to ensure that this short-term policy becomes permanent through legislative action.”