Biden to take sweeping election-year action shielding estimated 550,000 from deportation

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a major new policy initiative shielding tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States from deportation, in what amounts to one of the most sweeping immigration measures of his tenure in office.

Under the initiative, the Department of Homeland Security will take action to effectively grant federal protections to some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens. The new program, known as “parole in place,” will affect an estimated 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens and 50,000 children under the age of 21, administration officials said. It’s the same immigration policy that has been used for qualifying military families since 2007.

The timing of the proposal is nearly as notable as the substance, coming just weeks after the president unveiled a restrictive new measure to clamp down on asylum at the southern border. That policy drew sharp rebukes from progressive allies, who accused the administration of adopting a wholly conservative framework toward immigration.

Biden will speak about his actions at a White House event Tuesday marked to the 12th anniversary of then-President Barack Obama’s unveiling his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. by their parents to remain in the country.

The president’s aides believe the action will shore up his standing on one of his thorniest political issues. And they point to DACA as a road map. Back in 2012, Obama saw no backlash from moderates, white voters or swing voters when he unveiled his policy. He ultimately performed well with Latino voters — a demographic the Biden campaign hopes to energize with the announcement.

While the affirmative relief measures the president will introduce have been under discussion for months, aides hope the timing of the June announcement will alleviate pressure from his base. The president is expected to be joined on Tuesday by families who will be affected by his new programs, as well as Democratic members of Congress, including progressives who criticized the president’s border announcement just two weeks ago.

In addition, Biden will also announce a policy that makes DACA recipients and Dreamers eligible for work visas, rather than temporary work authorization. This will apply to DACA recipients, Dreamers and others who have earned a college degree or higher in the U.S. or who have received a job offer from a U.S. employer related to their degree.

The event will underscore the degree to which the immigration portfolio remains a challenging one for the White House. The president and his aides have struggled to find both an effective policy to stem migration to the southern border and an effective message to convince the public that they’re on top of the issue, as voters continue to give Biden low marks on immigration.

Biden has faced a torrent of criticism from Republicans and former President Donald Trump throughout his time in office. Their attacks have centered on the inability to lower migration numbers at the southern border. But Biden’s aides believe voters want a balanced approach: A president who tackles chaos at the border while also offering new pathways to citizenship for long-term, undocumented people in the U.S.

“It’s in our country’s interest in keeping American families together while ensuring anyone known to pose a threat to public safety cannot take part in our immigration system,” said a senior administration official, who was granted anonymity to preview the announcement.

Last month’s executive action cracking down on asylum claims came after congressional Republicans killed off a legislative compromise that would have put in place a similar policy. The White House believes that gave the president an opening to both take the step he did and claim a moral high ground in the migration policy debates. The White House has since begun touting its efforts to crack down on the border. Administration officials told reporters on Monday that the number of border crossings has plummeted since the president moved to restrict asylum claims.

Tuesday’s initiative will provide the White House with different metrics to tout. It will both shield undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from deportation and allow them to work legally in the U.S. while they pursue a path to citizenship. Based on eligibility requirements, the White House said the program will affect undocumented immigrants — the majority from Mexico — who have resided in the U.S. for an average of 23 years.

In order to be eligible for the new policy, individuals must have resided in the U.S. for 10 or more years and be married to a U.S. citizen as of Monday. Those who qualify will be eligible for a three-year work permit and will have the same time period to apply for permanent resident status. The application process is expected to open at the end of summer, an administration official said. Applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.