WASHINGTON, D.C. - An immigration expert speaking to Fox News Digital said that President Joe Biden and his administration have launched what some critics are calling an "amnesty program" for illegal immigrants during the same week that the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was being held.
According to Fox News, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is calling the program, "Keeping Families Together." The agency specifically said, "Noncitizens who are present in the United States without admission or parole may be considered for parole in place under this process." In the context of this, admission means, "being legally authorized to be in the country with a green card, visa or other reasons."
Fox News stated that this new program may make an estimated 500,000 noncitizen spouses and another 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens eligible for parole. Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies told Fox News Digital, "This is a massive amnesty that Congress never authorized."
Arthur, a former immigration judged, added, "Under a Harris-Walz administration, everybody in the country illegally could eventually be eligible for a process like this. It would hold Republicans' feet to the fire to undo it thereafter, but as we've seen with DACA, administrative amnesties are difficult to undo." DACA, which stands for Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, was a 2012 executive action by President Barack Obama's administration, giving legal status to the children of illegal immigrants.
According to USCIS, for the new "Keeping Families Together" program, the spouse must have been physically in the United States for 10 years "without admission or parole," "have no disqualifying criminal history and otherwise not deemed to be a threat to public safety, national security, or border security," and "undergo background checks."
Additionally, noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens "must have been under the age of 21 since June of 2023, when the executive action was first announced; have a noncitizen parent married to a U.S. citizen before June; and have no disqualifying criminal history." However, it appears that the criminal history portion of the policy has a caveat. The USCIS added that an applicant with a criminal record can become eligible by "demonstrating positive factors that can be considered in overcoming this presumption and showing that they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion."
According to the USCIS website, illegal immigrants in the middle of removal proceedings could also still get parole under this new process. The USCIS says, "If you have a final unexecuted removal order, non-disqualifying criminal history, or other derogatory information in your case, you may provide additional documentation that you believe demonstrates your parole is warranted based on a significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons, and that you merit a favorable exercise of discretion."
BBC reported that during the DNC, some delegates in attendance suggested that immigration will be a "secondary electoral issue" for many voters preoccupied with daily concerns, despite polling consistently showing that immigration is a top concern for many."
Julie Johnson, a Texas delegate, state representative and candidate for the House of Representatives in Washington said, "Immigration is certainly an important issue. But other people's immigration does not affect whether they can go see a doctor, afford a home or whether they have a good paying job."
According to Fox News, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is calling the program, "Keeping Families Together." The agency specifically said, "Noncitizens who are present in the United States without admission or parole may be considered for parole in place under this process." In the context of this, admission means, "being legally authorized to be in the country with a green card, visa or other reasons."
Fox News stated that this new program may make an estimated 500,000 noncitizen spouses and another 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens eligible for parole. Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies told Fox News Digital, "This is a massive amnesty that Congress never authorized."
Arthur, a former immigration judged, added, "Under a Harris-Walz administration, everybody in the country illegally could eventually be eligible for a process like this. It would hold Republicans' feet to the fire to undo it thereafter, but as we've seen with DACA, administrative amnesties are difficult to undo." DACA, which stands for Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, was a 2012 executive action by President Barack Obama's administration, giving legal status to the children of illegal immigrants.
According to USCIS, for the new "Keeping Families Together" program, the spouse must have been physically in the United States for 10 years "without admission or parole," "have no disqualifying criminal history and otherwise not deemed to be a threat to public safety, national security, or border security," and "undergo background checks."
Additionally, noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens "must have been under the age of 21 since June of 2023, when the executive action was first announced; have a noncitizen parent married to a U.S. citizen before June; and have no disqualifying criminal history." However, it appears that the criminal history portion of the policy has a caveat. The USCIS added that an applicant with a criminal record can become eligible by "demonstrating positive factors that can be considered in overcoming this presumption and showing that they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion."
According to the USCIS website, illegal immigrants in the middle of removal proceedings could also still get parole under this new process. The USCIS says, "If you have a final unexecuted removal order, non-disqualifying criminal history, or other derogatory information in your case, you may provide additional documentation that you believe demonstrates your parole is warranted based on a significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons, and that you merit a favorable exercise of discretion."
BBC reported that during the DNC, some delegates in attendance suggested that immigration will be a "secondary electoral issue" for many voters preoccupied with daily concerns, despite polling consistently showing that immigration is a top concern for many."
Julie Johnson, a Texas delegate, state representative and candidate for the House of Representatives in Washington said, "Immigration is certainly an important issue. But other people's immigration does not affect whether they can go see a doctor, afford a home or whether they have a good paying job."
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Comments
2024-08-26T15:17-0400 | Comment by: J
This is Paul Revere. If you're reading this comment, you are the resistance.
2024-08-26T16:07-0400 | Comment by: Harry
The Biden/Obama/Harris administration will do whatever it takes to make sure DemocRATs remain in power in perpetuity and that America as we know it is completely destroyed !
2024-08-27T11:49-0400 | Comment by: Jan
"Immigration is certainly an important issue. But other people's immigration does not affect whether they can go see a doctor, afford a home, or whether they have a good paying job." Either she's lying, doesn't know what she's talking about, or both. You have to wait a long time to see a doctor now, & hospital beds are scarce. Many illegals come here with diseases that are very rare in America. So yes, immigration on this level may not affect whether you see a doctor yet, but it already affects WHEN. As for buying a house, most Americans are being priced out of buying a home because of mortgage rates, due to the inflation that her party caused. But they're building homes for illegals. And last but not least, illegals are driving wages down. So much for "good paying jobs." So how is immigration important, Julie? Elections?
2024-08-27T11:49-0400 | Comment by: Jan
"Immigration is certainly an important issue. But other people's immigration does not affect whether they can go see a doctor, afford a home, or whether they have a good paying job." Either she's lying, doesn't know what she's talking about, or both. You have to wait a long time to see a doctor now, & hospital beds are scarce. Many illegals come here with diseases that are very rare in America. So yes, immigration on this level may not affect whether you see a doctor yet, but it already affects WHEN. As for buying a house, most Americans are being priced out of buying a home because of mortgage rates, due to the inflation that her party caused. But they're building homes for illegals. And last but not least, illegals are driving wages down. So much for "good paying jobs." So how is immigration important, Julie? Elections?