Biden plan that could benefit up to 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens kicks off

Back on June 17, the Biden administration announced an executive action aimed at protecting undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. The move, which was met with support by Mexican president Lopez Obrador, offered a pathway to citizenship for those who have been in the country continuously for at least 10 years and are married to a U.S. citizen.

And for over 500,000 non-citizens, that path can formally begin on Monday, as the measure has officially been launched under the name Keeping Families Together. The plan also targets stepchildren of U.S. citizens, a number that is estimated to be around 50,000.

Besides the aforementioned requirements, applicants who wish to apply for the program must prove that their deportation would cause extreme hardship to their American citizen spouse, including financial and emotional impacts. The application process requires a $580 fee and a detailed submission of supporting documents.

Applicants with disqualifying criminal histories or those deemed a threat to national security or public safety are ineligible while approved applicants will have three years to apply for permanent residency and can receive work authorization during this period.

To help out with the process, USCIS has also published a Filing Guide for Form I-131F, also known as the Application for Parole in Place for Certain Noncitizen Spouses and Stepchildren of U.S. Citizens.

The program has been met with enthusiasm by couples who are checking their eligibility, but there is apprehension about what could happen if former President Donald Trump is reelected.

The former president and current Republican candidate has made mass deportation a central part of his campaign, going as far as to suggest he would use the National Guard, and possibly even the military, to target between 15 million and 20 million illegal immigrants — though the government actually estimates the number to be around 11 million in 2022.

Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has also doubled down on these claims, suggesting the mass deportation plan could start with 1 million people:

"I think it's interesting that people focus on, well, how do you deport 18 million people? Let's start with 1 million. That's where Kamala Harris failed. And then we can go from there."