‘Parole in place’ to aid some undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens

The White House announced that beginning next month, certain undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, and their children, will be allowed to apply for legal residence while remaining in the country.

Such immigrants already were able to petition for legal status, but President Joe Biden’s executive order — which was unveiled in June — would allow applicants to “parole in place” instead of having to return to their native countries, as long as they’ve lived in the United States for at least one continuous decade.

The application process opens on Aug. 19, officials said Wednesday.

The new action, which is expected to be challenged in courts, “is expected to apply to approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and 50,000 noncitizen children whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen,” according to the White House announcement.

The process would bar applicants with a “disqualifying criminal history” and applicants considered to be a threat to public safety, according to federal immigration officials.

In a statement, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, wrote that the “family unity program” would help families build their “American Dream.” The Nevada Democrat noted that the state is home to 136,000 U.S. citizens who share a household with an undocumented immigrant.

June’s executive action also promised relief for immigrants who were illegally brought into the country as children, more commonly known as “Dreamers,” including recipients of the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals status.

More than 10,000 DACA recipients, who currently don’t have a path to citizenship, live in Nevada, Cortez Masto said.

Biden’s order would streamline the work visa process for college graduates who intend to go into the field for which they studied.

On Wednesday, Biden announced that the U.S. Department of Education was issuing an order to expand a program intended for first-generation college applicants with low-income backgrounds, to include Dreamers.

Additionally, the White House said that additional resources were coming to Latino-serving institutions, such as UNLV, Nevada State University and the College of Southern Nevada

The Department of Justice on Wednesday was beginning to double “Attorney for the Day” that recruits pro bono lawyers to help people with immigration court proceedings, and increasing training for law students, according to the White House.

“I’m pleased to see the administration heeding my calls to ensure that hardworking families in Nevada have access to the opportunities they deserve,” Cortez Masto wrote. “These actions will strengthen our economy, make it easier for Nevada Dreamers to succeed in college, and expand access to legal and immigration resources for hardworking immigrant families.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.