Biden's new immigration policy; Milwaukee mother optimistic
MILWAUKEE - There's a fight over the Latinx vote.
After a crackdown on asylum at the border, President Joe Biden is rolling out a new immigration policy.
Bianca Velasco is a U.S. citizen, but her husband is undocumented. They got married in 2021, but getting Velasco’s husband's legal status hasn't been easy.
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"A lot of stress, of uncertainty, of you don't know what's going to happen," Velasco said. "You every day hope to see a letter coming in saying, ‘okay, you're approved, you’re good to go,’" Velasco said. "Knowing that he might have to leave, what am I going to do? My daughter's in school, I have a two year old, what am I going to do? It's a lot of questions and a lot of time, a lot of waiting."
Bianca Velasco
The wait could be over soon after an executive order from Biden.
"It would greatly shorten the length of time that they'll have to wait," immigration attorney Melissa Soberalski said.
She said marrying a U.S. citizen already provided a path to legal status, but would take years and require leaving the country to complete the process.
This new policy would speed things up and protect undocumented spouses from deportation while they wait.
"It's not an easy path, it's not just, ‘let's get married, put in the paperwork,’" Velasco said. "No, it's a lot."
The new pathway to legal status is only for people:
- Married to a U.S. citizen
- Who've lived in the U.S. for the last 10 years
- Who don't have a criminal record
Not everyone agrees with the policy.
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"The Biden betrayal is not going to stand," former President Donald Trump said. "When I’m reelected, Joe Biden’s illegal amnesty plan will be ripped up and thrown out on the very first day that we’re back in office."
Bianca Velasco and her family
This comes in the midst of a presidential election, with both candidates vying for the Latino vote.
Velasco said right now, she's focused on her family.
"This new opportunity just gives us a lot of more ‘calma’ in us that things are going to be good, that things are going to be okay," she said.
The policy is expected to take effect late this summer and will provide an extension of protection for DACA recipients.