‘It’s His Daca Moment’: Advocates Ecstatic Over Biden Immigration Plan
On June 18, 2024, the Biden administration announced a major immigration policy shift aimed at promoting family unity and protecting undocumented immigrants. The new executive action establishes a "parole in place" program for approximately 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and 50,000 noncitizen children, allowing them to apply for permanent residency (green cards) without leaving the country and risking long-term deportation bars. Additionally, the order streamlines the work visa process for DACA recipients and "Dreamers" who have graduated from U.S. colleges. RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) reacted with cautious optimism; while RAICES spokesperson Faisal Al-Juburi applauded the shift toward humanitarian policies that protect families, the organization emphasized that these affirmative relief measures must be followed by systemic immigration reform to replace punitive deterrence practices with a truly just and functional system.
