Humanitarian rights groups accustomed to condemning President Biden’s immigration policies are extolling his June 18 order granting protections to Dreamers and to undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
The presidential action allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to grant parole to applicants who have lived in country a decade, can pass criminal checks, pay applicable fees and demonstrate marriage to American citizens.
Biden also made it easier for Dreamers and other immigrants with degrees from U.S. higher education institutions to obtain work visas if offered jobs by American employers.
Rebecca Shi
“President Biden’s action to extend work permits for long-term immigrant spouses is morally right, economically sound and politically smart,” said Rebecca Shi, executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans support these humane and common-sense steps, and it will directly improve the lives of more than 10 million American citizens who have an undocumented family member. Today, those families, and the advocates fighting on their behalf, can breathe a huge sigh of relief,” Shi said.
Anna Gallagher
“These policies are a breath of fresh air and a dose of hope for many of our immigrant brothers and sisters,” said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.
“We welcome these measures, knowing the enormous impacts they will have for our network’s clients,” she said. “The church has consistently advocated for DACA recipients, who are vital to our communities. These actions align with the values of our faith and will provide welcome relief to immigrant families.”
But Gallagher said she and other advocates remain wary of previous Biden orders restricting access to asylum. “We advocate and pray for measures that recognize the dignity of all people, regardless of status. Robust asylum protections are essential for safeguarding human dignity and promoting family unity. We urge the administration to boldly champion the rights of all immigrants.”
Among those policies was June 4 order to close the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers when average migrant arrests exceed 2,500 a day, and to keep it closed until encounters decline below 1,500 per day. Those arrests averaged more than 3,500 a day during May.
Biden signed previous orders requiring migrants to wait in Mexico for asylum hearings in the U.S., to apply for those appointments using a slow and unreliable smartphone application, and to pass a more challenging credible fear screenings.
The White House defended the president’s policies as crucial to border security and to protecting Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants who have built productive lives in the U.S.: “President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country.”
The most recent action will strengthen the economy by stabilizing the workforce and protect about 50,000 noncitizen residents under age 21 from deportation, the White House said.
Applicants can go through the process without having to leave the U.S. and attempting to re-enter — a step previously required for undocumented spouses seeking green cards.
Matt Soerens
Still, Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, said Biden’s order is vulnerable.
“While we are grateful for this step, this executive action, enacted by one president, could easily be undone by a future president, and may also face legal challenges, so we believe the better solution is for Congress to act in a bipartisan way to address this and other elements of our immigration laws that separate families,” he said.
National Immigration Forum President Jennie Murray agreed that legislative action would provide much stronger solutions to immigration issues.
“We are pleased to see the Biden administration consider action to keep families together and provide additional opportunities for Dreamers,” she said. “We continue to urge Congress to pass permanent solutions, which is the only way to guarantee enduring relief for these populations.”
A group of immigration advocates, legislators and Chamber of Commerce leaders praised Biden during a June 19 news conference organized by the American Business Immigration Coalition.
“I am thrilled to join you in celebrating President Biden’s new policy to keep hardworking families together and to also protect Dreamers. This action will help them get work permits and make sure they can stay with their families and fully contribute to our economy,” said Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada.
Peter Guzman, president of the Nevada Latin Chamber of Commerce, said the Biden directive is “good for business and it’s the right thing to do. American employers are desperate for labor. There are not enough workers to go around. Here in Las Vegas, in our wonderful 24-hour hospitality economy, we know that these hotels and casinos could not open every day without immigrants.”