President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a proposal that would offer amnesty to around one million migrants who are married to U.S. citizens, according to PBS.org. However, the Associated Press (AP) notes that the amnesty offer is not finalized and that no final decisions have been made on what Biden will announce, if anything.
The proposal is being pushed by Biden’s impeached border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, and by FWD.us, an advocacy group for wealthy investors in consumer-economy companies. The group claims that the amnesty would help “millions of families” and that it has been touting the proposal through administration allies, friendly media sources, and its network of advocacy groups.
However, many polls show that most Americans, including American Latinos, are growing more opposed to Biden’s easy migration policies. A June YouGov poll found that Hispanic adults were split evenly when asked about migration, with 29% saying “better off” and 29% saying “worse off.”
The amnesty would use a narrow “humanitarian parole” door in the border laws that exists for border emergencies, such as a sick passenger on an international flight or a person rushing to a U.S. funeral. However, critics argue that the plan is “legally questionable” and would create further pull factors for migrants.
The plan has been criticized by former President Donald Trump’s campaign, which said that Biden’s migration policies are “flooding America’s labor pool with millions of low-wage illegal migrants who are directly attacking the wages and opportunities of hard-working Americans.”
The proposal is also seen as a way for Biden to boost his political standing with Latino voters and his base ahead of the 2024 election. However, it could also highlight his border failure and risk the political goals sought by other interest groups in the Democratic Party, such as climate activists, African-American activists, and unions.
