President Biden Offers Citizenship To 500,000 Spouses of US Citizens

President Joe Biden, last week, announced one of the biggest legalisation efforts in recent history, offering a path to citizenship to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the United States who are married to US citizens.

The election year move contrasts sharply with his Republican rival former president Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations. The programme will be open to an estimated 500,000 spouses who have lived in the US for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024, the White House and US Department of Homeland Security said in statements, yesterday.

Some 50,000 children under age 21 with US-citizen parents also will be eligible. “These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy,” the White House said.