Georgia residents react to new immigration regulation
A Georgia man says he will continue to fight for immigration changes to reunite his family. President Biden's new executive order allows some spouses of undocumented U.S. citizens to stay in this country without fear of deportation.
ATLANTA – Jason Rochester had mixed reactions to President Joe Biden's executive order allowing some spouses of undocumented U.S. citizens to apply for legal status without fear of deportation.
“I was happy for the families that it's going to help because it's going to help some families, but I'm disappointed because of the way it's worded. It's not going to help me right now because my wife is overseas and this executive action only applies to people who are in the country,” Rochester told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes.
Rochester's wife is a Mexican citizen. Cecilia Gonzalez-Carmona was in the country illegally when she deported herself in 2018 after receiving poor legal advice. This made her ineligible to apply for residency under the new plan.
President Biden's executive order protects more than half a million illegal immigrants from deportation.
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The Rochester family is currently separated after their mother, Cecilia Gonzalez-Carmona, who was in the country illegally, deported herself in 2018. (Delivered)
To qualify, an undocumented person must be married to a U.S. citizen and have lived in the United States for at least 10 years with no criminal record.
Children under the age of 21 without a residence permit whose parent is married to a citizen are also eligible.
The president says this will keep families together, but Republicans oppose the measure.
Rochester has joined other families in lobbying federal lawmakers for changes to immigration law, and remains hopeful that the president will take further action in the coming months to allow Carmona to join Rochester and her son in Georgia.
“The whole thing is to prevent family separation. But our families are already separated, so we need help too,” Rochester said.
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Biden’s immigration order explained
President Joe Biden announced an executive order during a press conference on June 18, 2024, that would allow spouses of U.S. citizens to remain in the country legally.
President Joe Biden has taken significant election-year action to offer potential citizenship to hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. without legal status, a move he hopes will offset his recent crackdown on the southern border that has angered many advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
The executive order announced on Tuesday allows spouses of certain undocumented U.S. citizens to apply for permanent residency and ultimately U.S. citizenship without having to leave the country. This measure could affect up to half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.
“The Statue of Liberty is not a relic of American history. It still represents who we are,” Biden said at the White House, surrounded by advocates, congressional Democrats and eligible immigrants. He stressed the importance of both supporting immigration and securing the border, rejecting the notion that those goals are mutually exclusive.
President Joe Biden announced an executive order during a press conference on June 18, 2024, that would allow spouses of U.S. citizens to remain in the country legally.
Biden's order stands in stark contrast to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who is known for his hard-line stance on immigration and calls for mass deportations. Biden criticized Trump's policies, including the zero-tolerance policy that separated families at the border, while Trump vowed to repeal Biden's policies if re-elected.
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To qualify for this new pathway, an immigrant must have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and be married to a U.S. citizen as of Monday. Approved applicants will have three years to apply for a green card, receive temporary work authorization and are protected from deportation. About 50,000 non-U.S. citizen children with U.S. citizen parents could also qualify.
Senior officials expect the process to open by the end of the summer. Fees have yet to be determined. This initiative coincides with the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Republicans are criticizing Biden's plan, calling it a “mass amnesty plan.” Some, like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, predict the policy will face legal challenges.
President Joe Biden has halted asylum applications from people entering the United States outside of designated ports of entry.
This announcement follows Biden's recent crackdown on the U.S.-Mexico border, which halted asylum claims from people arriving outside designated ports of entry, resulting in fewer encounters at the border.
Advocates believe Biden's actions will mobilize Latino communities and secure votes. New regulations will also allow certain DACA beneficiaries and other young immigrants to more easily qualify for work visas, providing stronger protections than current DACA regulations.
Biden's executive order builds on the authority used by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to allow military families to apply for “local parole,” a process that allows qualified immigrants to apply for permanent residency without leaving the country – a significant victory for the immigrant rights movement.
Progressive lawmakers and advocates praised Biden's actions, stressing the importance of keeping American families together and eliminating fears of separation based on immigration status.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
