Biden to legalize 5 lakh immigrants living in the US

US President Joe Biden is going to legalize 500,000 illegal immigrants ahead of the presidential election in November.

To this end, President Biden has announced a new policy that would protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, BBC reported quoting administration officials.

The issue of immigration has proven an election-year headache for Mr Biden, who recently issued a sweeping executive action to curb record migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border.

The new policy will apply to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and will allow them to work in the US legally.

The White House believes more than 500,000 spouses will be eligible.

Speaking at an event at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Biden said the move would help the US immigration system become less “unfair” and “unjust” for the benefit of immigrants, married couples - and all Americans.

Polls show that the immigration is a primary concern for many voters ahead of the presidential poll in November.

The White House also believes the new spouses policy will benefit 50,000 young people under 21 whose parent is married to an American citizen.

It marks the most significant relief programme for undocumented migrants already in the US since the Obama administration announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca, in 2012.
“The action I’m announcing today will go into effect later this summer,” Mr Biden said at the White House.

“The steps I’m taking today are overwhelmingly supported by the American people, despite what the other team says,” he added, a reference to Republicans.

The White House announcement came as the US marked the 12th anniversary of Daca, which shielded over 530,000 migrants who came to the US as children - known as Dreamers - from deportation.

On Monday, senior administration officials said that undocumented spouses of US citizens would qualify if they had lived in the country for 10 years and been married as of 17 June.

Those who qualify will have three years to apply for permanent residency and will be eligible for a three-year work permit.

On average, the White House believes that those eligible for the process have been in the US for 23 years. A majority will have been born in Mexico.

They will be “paroled in place” and allowed to remain in the US while their status is changed.