Biden unveils plan to protect immigrants married to US citizens from deportation and expands work permits

President Joe Biden is unveiling new actions Tuesday that will speed a pathway to legal residency for about 500,000 undocumented people living in the United States.

Biden’s announcement, made days after the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, comes just weeks after the president signed an executive order that will forcibly close the southern border and allow the federal government to expand deportation procedures for incoming immigrants when crossings reach a certain threshold, a policy that drew sharp condemnation from immigration activists and members of his own party.

Biden’s sweeping immigration eases the pathway to legal status for roughly half a million undocumented spouses married to U.S. citizens who have lived in the country for more than a decade as of June 17, 2024.