Biden announces protections for undocumented spouses of US citizens

Under the new policy, undocumented spouses who have lived in the United States for at least 10 years will be offered a path to citizenship and the opportunity to work legally.

It will also open the way for non-citizen minors and stepchildren of U.S. citizens.

It’s one of the most sweeping presidential actions to protect immigrants in more than a decade, said Andrea Masnata of Make the Road Nevada, a nonprofit that promotes justice for Latino immigrants .

This will not only impact spouses married to an undocumented immigrant, but also their children. We have more than 50,000 children who have a parent who is undocumented. This will change their lives forever,” Masnata said.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto applauded Biden’s action. “These two actions taken by the administration are important because, ultimately, it’s about keeping these families together, families who want to contribute to our economy and pay taxes and families who want to play a crucial role in our future here,” she said.

Marriage to a U.S. citizen generally provides a path to U.S. citizenship. But people who crossed the border illegally must return to their home country to get their green card.

This means long separations from their spouse and family. The new policy allows families to remain in the country while they seek legal status.

This new announcement comes two weeks after other executive actions were announced severely restricting asylum for most undocumented immigrants.