(OurNationNews.com) 544,690 illegal immigrants will now have protection from deportation proceedings and will be given the option to become legal citizens under a new plan from the Biden administration.
The program applies to illegal immigrants who have lived in the country for 10 years and are married to United States citizens. That is approximately 500,000 immigrant adults that qualify for protection under the program. The children of those immigrants will also receive the same protection which brings the approximate total up to 544,690.
A White House statement on the new program said among the individuals eligible for the program, they have been in the United States for an average of 23 years. The statement also said that President Biden believes immigrants that have been living in this country and paying taxes are important contributors to American society.
There were mixed reactions from the two sides of the political aisle. Rep Garcia praised the new program as a way to allow 55,000 Houston immigrants to live without fear of deportation. Former Trump advisor Stephen Miller said the program provides “unconstitutional amnesty.” Senator Cornyn of Texas said the rule will increase the number of people crossing the border illegally. He also said the program will be challenged in court.
Immigration rules have always allowed a non-citizen to obtain a green card if they marry an American citizen. When an individual has lived illegally in the U.S. for a period of time, they are expected to leave the U.S. and file their application from their country of origin. Since that individual lived in the U.S. without proper authorization, they will have to wait anywhere from three to 10 years for that application to be processed and approved.
In a statement, President Biden said his focus is on fixing the problem with immigration rather than “playing politics.” He called the executive order action “common sense” and said they can tighten up the border while providing adequate pathways to citizenship.
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