Biden will protect spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation.

President Joe Biden is set to unveil an ambitious immigration policy that would provide relief from deportation to thousands of individuals married to U.S. citizens. The announcement, scheduled for Tuesday, is a significant move that has been eagerly awaited by many within the Democratic party.

During a White House event, Biden will not only commend an Obama-era directive that shielded young undocumented immigrants from deportation but will also introduce a new initiative. As per sources familiar with the White House’s plans, the program will offer approximately 490,000 spouses of U.S. citizens the chance to apply for a “parole in place” status. This status would not only protect them from deportations but also permit them to work legally if they have resided in the U.S. for a minimum of 10 years.

The White House has chosen to remain tight-lipped about the specifics of the announcement, opting not to comment on it before the official unveiling.

A number of families who stand to benefit from Biden’s actions are expected to be present at the White House event on Tuesday afternoon.

For some time now, the administration has been considering various measures to safeguard immigrants without legal status in the U.S. who have deep-rooted connections in the country. This latest move comes in the wake of a previous proposal by the White House that had severely curtailed asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Biden’s new policy will not only offer deportation protections and work permits but will also remove a significant hurdle for eligible immigrants to seek permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. This authority, which has been utilised for other immigrant categories like members of the U.S. military and their relatives lacking legal status, is a powerful tool in the President’s arsenal.

During an event at the White House on June 4, Biden had alluded to the need for a fair and just immigration system, stating, “Today, I have spoken about what we need to do to secure the border… In the weeks ahead — and I mean the weeks ahead — I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and more just.”

Another aspect of Biden’s proposed changes includes making recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program eligible for visas, potentially replacing their current temporary work permits, according to inside sources.

On Capitol Hill, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a group of Democratic lawmakers, has been pushing for a policy that would grant work visas to graduates of U.S. colleges who arrived in the country as children without authorization.

The 12th anniversary of the DACA program is set to be commemorated by the White House on Tuesday afternoon. This program, established by former President Barack Obama, provides protection to young immigrants without legal status, often referred to as “dreamers.”