Biden offers citizenship pathway for thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens

United States President Joe Bidenon Tuesday (Jun 18)announced a programme which would pave the way for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses andstepchildren of American citizens to receive citizenship.

About the programme

The sweeping initiative could provide relief to as many as 500,000 spouses who have lived in the US for at least 10 years as of June 17. It would also allow around 50,000stepchildren under age 21 with a US citizen parent to gain citizenship,

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The move willprovide relief to hundreds of thousands of “mixed-status” families in the country.

“These eligible non-citizens who have lived here for 10 years or more have deep family and community ties in the United States,” a senior official from the Bidenadministrationtold reporters, as quoted by the Guardian.

“Many of these families include US citizen children, yet they live in fear and face deep uncertainty about their future,” the official added.

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The programme alsoallows spouses and children to apply for permanent residence without leaving the US, getting rid of a potentially lengthy process and family separation. It would also allow them to eventually apply for an Americancitizenship.

Biden criticises Trump

Speakingat a White House event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, or DACA, Biden, unveiling the new plan,criticised his predecessor Donald Trumpfor separating migrant families at the US-Mexico border.

He also slammed the former president for hisincendiary language about immigrants, including the time when he said they were"poisoning the blood of our country."

"It's hard to believe it's being said, but he's actually saying these things out loud. And it's outrageous," said the US president.

He added, "I'm not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration. I'm interested in fixing it."

DACA, launched in 2012 by former President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden, protects nearly 530,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children from being deported.

Immigration policies and elections

With less than five months left for the presidential election, Biden and his rival, Trump have spoken about how they would handle immigration if they take over the White House. Immigration is arguably one of the most divisive issues in the US.

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Initially, Biden, a Democrat, said that he would reverse many restrictive immigration policies of the Trump era, but amid a record rise in the migrant arrests on the US-Mexico border, the incumbent president has toughened his approach in recent months.

Earlier this month, Biden signed an order barring most migrants crossing the border from requesting asylum, a policy similar to his Republican predecessor.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed a harsher immigration crackdown if he secures a second term in the White House, including the largest mass deportation campaign in US history.

(With inputs from agencies)