New Biden programme offers hope to immigrants seeking citizenship
Miguel Aleman, a 39-year-old immigrant who was brought to the United States from Mexico at age 4, is among hundreds of thousands eagerly awaiting the launch of a new Biden administration program aimed at providing a path to citizenship. The initiative, named “Keeping Families Together,” is set to begin on Monday.
The program represents one of the most significant immigration reforms under President Joe Biden, designed to offer legal status to long-term U.S. residents who entered the country illegally. With the upcoming November 5 election spotlighting illegal immigration, this move is a notable attempt by Democrats to address one of the country’s most contentious issues.
Aleman, who works as an Uber driver and is the father of two young children with his U.S.-citizen wife, faces a potential decade-long separation from his family if the program does not go through. “My whole family is here,” Aleman said at a Friday information session organized by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. The session attracted immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, and the Philippines, reflecting widespread interest in the program.
The “Keeping Families Together” initiative, announced in June, is expected to benefit approximately 500,000 spouses who have lived in the U.S. for at least ten years as of June 17. Additionally, around 50,000 children under 21 with U.S.-citizen parents will be eligible. This program allows qualifying spouses to apply for permanent residence without having to leave the U.S. for years, which is typically required under current immigration laws.
President Biden introduced the program before his withdrawal from the presidential race in July, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee. Harris is set to formally accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday. She has emphasized the need for an “earned pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants and has defended the administration’s record amid criticism from Republicans.
Republican critics, including Donald Trump and his campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, have condemned the program as a “mass amnesty” and vowed to intensify deportation efforts if Trump is re-elected. Trump has also criticized Harris for the high numbers of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The “Keeping Families Together” program could also impact individuals currently enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was established in 2012 by then-President Obama. Despite attempts by Trump to dismantle DACA, the Supreme Court blocked these efforts, and the program remains a legal battleground.
Aleman, who is currently enrolled in DACA, hopes that the new program will provide him with a more permanent solution. “I want to keep contributing to this country,” he said, expressing optimism about the upcoming changes.
As the program’s rollout approaches, it is expected to face legal challenges, particularly from Republican-led states opposed to expanded immigration relief.
