As the White House restricted asylum for refugees at the southern border, President Joe Biden loosened some immigration policies at an event on Tuesday that celebrated the 12th anniversary of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden gave opening remarks and said most immigrants come here for a future of promise and potential.
“They only ask for one thing in return: the chance to work hard and build a good life for themselves and for their families. That's the promise of America.”
But many who come here without papers wrestle with the constant fear of deportation.
Javier Quiroz Castro said “growing up undocumented was not easy. Like thousands of other immigrants, my parents endured hard labor in order to provide for the family.”
He came to the U.S. when he was three and was a DACA recipient, meaning he was protected from deportation while he remained in school and became eligible for a work permit. He ultimately became a nurse.
“Today I'm announcing new measures to clarify and speed up work visas to help people,” President Joe Biden said. “Including dreamers who have graduated from U.S. colleges and universities, landed jobs and high demand, high skilled professions that we need to see our economy grow.”
The Biden administration says it will streamline the process to obtain temporary work visas for those who have graduated from an accredited college or university, and that it will allow undocumented spouses to apply for a green card.
In 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports there were 2,510 active DACA recipients in Idaho.
For more information on what to expect, read here.
