Biden Launches New Protections for Dreamers
This is one of the biggest efforts made for undocumented immigrants since the establishment of DACA 12 years ago.
(Getty Images)
The Biden administration recently announced two new executive actions to further efforts to expand and stabilize immigration processes for mixed-status families, as well as some undocumented college graduates.
One of the policies allows undocumented spouses and children of United States citizens to apply for a permanent residency and obtain a green card without having to leave the country. Prior to this measure, those who entered the U.S. without authorization and stayed for over a year would be forced to return to their country of origin for a period of 10 years.
But with the executive action, undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens can more easily waiver this 10-year-bar by offering parole — which will protect immigrants from deportation, as well as grant work authorization.
The other measure will ease the process for some undocumented U.S. college graduates to receive work visas. In order to qualify, they need to have obtained a degree from an accredited American college and have been offered a job from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree.
This is one of the biggest efforts made for undocumented immigrants since 12 years ago, when President Barack Obama established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA allowed for some undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, also known as Dreamers, to apply for work permits and driver’s licenses.
This announcement follows a sweep of hardline, asylum restriction policies — including a substantial increase in deployment of militant personnel and technological surveillance at Southern entry points, as well as crackdown on human smuggling networks and so on.
Despite his initial plans to undo the damage caused by the Trump administration, President Biden’s attitude to immigration throughout his presidency has aligned quite closely with his predecessor. And having these new progressive measures announced alongside the crackdowns at the borders feels like a response to the increasing criticism the president is receiving from both the left and the right.
Piper Stuip (she/her), is a student at Oakland School for the Arts focusing on creative writing.
Edited by Amber Ly