Democrats hail Biden immigration moves that Trump brands ‘amnesty’

John T. Bennett, Niels Lesniewski | (TNS) CQ-Roll Call

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced a new program aimed at helping some migrant families to stay together by allowing noncitizen spouses and children to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country — and Donald Trump and other top Republicans already are crying foul.

The administration also said some recipients of deferred action and other so-called “Dreamers” would be able to more swiftly get work visas if they have earned a college degree at an accredited U.S. institution and received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree.

“These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together,” a senior administration official said. “It is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country.”

The new process is expected to be “open by the end of the summer,” the official added.

A fact sheet released by the administration said the moves would “facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers.”

The action comes after President Joe Biden was criticized by some Democrats for issuing an order on June 4 that would limit migrants’ asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border and allow immigration officials to swiftly deport individuals who illegally enter the United States. Republicans called the move too little, too late, or said it was motivated solely by election year politics.

In contrast, advocates for immigrant families were already praising the White House’s plans ahead of an event at the White House on Tuesday.

“Through his actions, President Biden is helping half a million non-citizen spouses and step-children of Americans to remain with their families, including many from Asia and the Pacific Islands who have lived here for years. Easing visa processes for Dreamers will cut red tape and allow young people to secure a job of their choice and contribute to our communities and economy,” Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a statement.

Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, D-Texas, said in a statement that with the move, the administration “reaffirms its commitment to the immigrant community.”

“An estimated 55,000 immigrants in the Houston area are married to U.S. citizens and many of them will now be able to live, work and raise a family without the fear of deportation,” she said. “Additionally, providing work opportunities to some of the 270,000 Texans who are undocumented Dreamers and considered high-skilled workers will be a huge step forward.”

Republican critics, however, blasted the move even before the White House formally announced it.

“Biden is preparing to give MASS AMNESTY to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens! This is unsustainable and can’t be allowed to continue! On day one, we will SHUT DOWN THE BORDER and start deporting millions of Biden’s Illegal Criminals,” Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, wrote Monday on his social media site. “We will once again put AMERICANS First and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a Judiciary Committee member and candidate for Senate Republican leader in the next Congress, accused Biden of playing election year politics.

“This is what the Border Patrol calls a pull factor. It’s like a magnet, attracting people into the United States who know that if they wait long enough, President Biden will find some way to allow them to stay in the United States, even though they circumvent legal means of coming into the country,” Cornyn said in a statement.

“Now, I don’t think anybody is fooled by President Biden’s sudden interest in what’s happening at the southern border,” Cornyn added. “This is a last-ditch attempt to turn down the heat on the border crisis in the lead up to the election, and the American people aren’t buying it.”

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