WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden is exploring the possibility of awarding green cards to nearly 4,000 undocumented immigrants facing deportation each year.
Reports suggest that the green cards would be issued with conditions including a minimum residency of a decade and no convictions for serious crimes.
Proposals from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, dating back to September 2023, aim to offer lawful permanent residency to thousands of migrants deemed to have “good moral character” and facing exceptional and unusual hardship if deported.
However, the process is not immediate as applicants are warned of potential lengthy waits, with immigration judges tasked with approving applications, a procedure that could take years.
If the plan is approved – which would involve tough negotiations and criticism – the immigrants would be able to integrate into society on a legal basis and would have a sigh of relief.
Since taking office, President Biden has executed various executive actions to reverse immigration policies implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, including terminating the controversial “Remain in Mexico” program.
The amendments come as border crossings into the US have seen a surge in recent years, with border authorities apprehending a significant number of individuals on US terror watchlists. Fiscal years 2022 and 2023 witnessed as many as 270 such encounters, while 50 have been recorded so far in fiscal year 2024.
Amidst the debate on immigration and its consequences, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also revealed that over 85% of migrants entering the US are released into the country, raising concerns over border security and immigration enforcement.
The Biden administration’s expansion of humanitarian parole has also facilitated the entry of over 320,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela into the US. This policy came under scrutiny following the tragic murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally in 2022.
Although the fresh proposal on green cards has yet to be approved, Congressional Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for its departure from Trump-era immigration policies, accusing it of laxity in detaining and removing migrants.
Apparently, immigration is taking center stage in US Politics, especially in the backdrop of the upcoming presidential elections and the award of Green Cards can further spice up the debate.
