Washington. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a new effort to offer a path to citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in the US who are married to American citizens, an election year move that stands in stark contrast to Republican rival Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations. At a White House event, Biden criticised Trump for separating migrant families at the US-Mexico border and using inflammatory language about immigrants living illegally in the US.
Trump also remarked that they were ‘poisoning the blood of our country.’ Biden said that ‘it’s hard to believe it’s being said, but he’s actually saying these things out loud. And it’s outrageous. I’m not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration. I’m interested in fixing it.’ However, White House officials said on Tuesday that Biden’s new program would be open to an estimated 500,000 spouses who have lived in the US for at least 10 years as of June 17. About 50,000 children under the age of 21 whose parents are US citizens will also be eligible to gain citizenship.
Biden, a Democrat seeking a second term in the Nov. 5 presidential election, took office vowing to reverse many of Trump’s restrictive immigration policies. But Biden has toughened his stance in the face of record-breaking arrests of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. Earlier this month, Biden barred most migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum. The policy was similar to a Trump-era asylum ban and was criticized by immigration advocates and some Democrats.
Biden’s program to grant citizenship to spouses of US citizens can reinforce his campaign message that he supports a more humane immigration system. Biden can show how he differs from Trump, who has long had a tough stance on both legal and illegal immigration. Biden said that ‘The Statue of Liberty is not a relic of American history. It is still a symbol of our existence.’
Tags: Joe Biden, United States
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 19, 2024, 11:25 IST