FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
MIAMI, FL—On Tuesday, the Administration announced executive action that will provide a pathway to citizenship for many undocumented spouses of US citizens and help DACA recipients and Dreamers more easily access employment visas.
The new process will allow undocumented spouses of US citizens who have been present in the United States for at least ten years to apply for parole in place, which would open the door for them to apply for lawful permanent residence without having to leave the United States. The DHS estimates that approximately 500,000 noncitizen spouses of US citizens who have lived in the United States on average for 23 years and 50,000 children of these spouses could be eligible for this process. This includes the 113,000 undocumented spouses of US citizens living in the U.S. for an average of 16 years estimated to reside in Florida.
The Administration is also removing barriers for DACA-recipients and other undocumented college graduates to access employment-based visas without timely delays and uncertain re-entry permission. Securing a nonimmigrant employment-based visa will allow DACA recipients and other Dreamers to access a more stable legal status and could open up pathways to seek residency and citizenship in the future. This is critical given the prolonged litigation around the legality of the program and the government’s inability to process new DACA applications.
“After the disappointing actions the Administration took earlier this month that restrict asylum access to those seeking safety at our Southern Border, these new measures are a welcomed advancement toward fulfilling the promise of keeping families together,” said Cindy Woods, National Policy Counsel for Americans for Immigrant Justice. “The positive impact of these new policies, which will provide a more certain pathway to legal status for around 500,000 noncitizen spouses, including 113,000 who call Florida home, cannot be overstated and we applaud the Administration for taking these long overdue steps to protect our communities.”
The Department of Homeland Security is currently working out the details of these new processes and is expected to announce more information in the Federal Register in the coming weeks.
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