Staff Reports
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new twist in President Biden’s lenient immigration policies. Starting August 19, immigrants who have managed to stick around illegally for a decade and are married to U.S. citizens will get their very own get-out-of-jail-free card, under the guise of deportation amnesty. Talk about rewarding bad behavior.
But here comes the kicker—USCIS has warned potential applicants to sit tight and keep their stacks of paperwork in check until the green light is given. Applications sent in ahead of time will be tossed in the trash. Apparently, even government bureaucracy has its paperwork quirks to maintain.
Biden to start illegal immigrant spouses amnesty Aug. 19 https://t.co/INmvFUYRXF pic.twitter.com/TtZNFkvVNQ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 17, 2024
Under this plan, the lucky illegal immigrants who meet the criteria won’t have to worry about pesky deportations. Instead, they’ll get a golden pass to change their status to lawful permanent residents without the inconvenience of returning to their home countries. A month ago, Biden dangled this carrot, but the specifics are still as clear as mud.
While the official guidance and the regulatory mumbo-jumbo are still being brewed, USCIS insists everyone hold their horses. An official notice will elaborate on who qualifies and how to jump through the administrative hoops—paperwork forms, filing fees, and all. Try to sneak in an early application, and expect it to boomerang back.
The administration’s grand announcement is strategically timed to be unveiled at UnidosUS, a major Hispanic and immigrant-rights group’s convention in Las Vegas. Nothing says pandering to a voter base quite like an amnesty announcement with all the glitz of Sin City.
This latest amnesty extravaganza relies on “parole in place,” allowing these lovebirds to sidestep deportation and snag a legal work permit. The administration paints this as a smoother path to citizenship, but critics, including some legal experts, aren’t buying it. They point out that a recent Supreme Court ruling has thrown a wrench in Biden’s logic.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that marriage doesn’t automatically grant a green card. Couples must navigate a labyrinth of bureaucratic trials. The noncitizen spouse might even face the risk of not reentering the U.S. after departure. The justice highlighted the irony that the longer an illegal immigrant has been in the U.S., the trickier it becomes to adjust their legal status.
So, as the administration bends over backward to accommodate those who broke the law to come here, it’s clear that the path to citizenship is getting a fresh layer of political red tape. This is just another day in the topsy-turvy world of Biden’s immigration playbook.
