FIEL Houston helps families under Biden’s new citizenship plan

HOUSTON — The FIEL organization is now responding that there are new protections for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.

President Joe Biden announced a new policy Tuesday that will protect some undocumented spouses from deportation and provide them with a path to citizenship. The policy only applies to those who have lived in the United States for more than a decade and pass a background check.

RELATED: Half a Million Immigrants Could Possibly Gain U.S. Citizenship Thanks to Biden’s New Plan

This comes two weeks after Biden unveiled a plan to limit the number of asylum seekers at the border.

“This whole thing is him trying to have the cake and eat it too,” said Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. “In one sense he’s saying he’s going to close the border, but in another sense he’s reassuring the progressive left that he’s still going to be sensitive to the idea of ​​letting people in.”

The president’s order is considered one of the most significant measures to protect immigrants since the Children’s Dream Act was signed into law 12 years ago. Local immigrant rights advocates applaud it, but also prepare for the possibility that it will be challenged in court.

“We know that this is the beginning of another battle that is going to be fought by those who don’t want us here and who will end up taking these programs to court and we will end up in court again,” Cesar Espinosa said. , Executive Director Director of FIEL.

Espinosa said that until then, FIEL will do everything in its power to make sure Houston-area families take advantage of the new program.