Half a million immigrants could eventually get US citizenship under a new plan from Biden

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

By Camaron Stevenson

June 18, 2024

BREAKING: The Biden administration announced new immigration policies that aim to streamline the path to citizenship for longtime US residents like “Dreamers,” or undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children.

Here’s what’s new:

Streamlined citizenship timeline for spouses of citizens who have lived in the US for 10 years
Spouses don’t have to leave the country while applying for permanent residency
Expedited work visas for “Dreamers” with a college degree or high-skill job offer

An estimated 500,000 people will be eligible for the streamlined citizenship process, and the new work visa rule will affect over 3.5 million “Dreamers.”

“These new protections will offer much-needed stability for undocumented spouses and Dreamers,” said Alejandra Gomez, executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA). “But We need legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the US and puts an end to harmful policies like detention and deportation.”

A number of executive actions, such as restrictions on asylum-seekers and an increased law enforcement presence at the border, are also aimed at addressing the US-Mexico border.

Author

Camaron Stevenson

Camaron is the Founding Editor and Chief Political Correspondent for The Copper Courier, and has worked as a journalist in Phoenix for over a decade. He also teaches multimedia journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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CATEGORIES: IMMIGRATION

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