WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host a White House event next week to celebrate an Obama-era directive that provided deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, his administration is considering new benefits for others without legal status but with long-standing ties to the United States.
According to five informed sources, White House officials are working on a plan using Biden’s executive powers. This plan aims to shield spouses of U.S. citizens who lack legal status from deportation, grant them work permits, and make it easier for them to achieve permanent residency and eventually American citizenship.
While these actions could be announced as early as next week, a White House official emphasized on Thursday that no final decisions have been made about what, if anything, Biden will announce. As of earlier this week, Biden had not received the proposal for his final approval, leaving the timing of any announcement uncertain. Currently, the president is in Italy for the Group of Seven summit with the world’s wealthiest democracies.
Last week, Biden hinted at further actions that would please immigrant advocates. This came as he introduced a directive to crack down on asylum claims at the border, a move that has angered immigrant-rights groups and many Democratic lawmakers.