More immigrants are now permitted to work and dwell in the United States without fear of deportation thanks to immigration laws implemented under the Biden administration, but there is still no clear path to permanent residency.
According to a recent Migration Policy Institute research, approximately 1.5 million individuals have been granted “twilight” status, out of the estimated 11.3 million undocumented migrants in the United States.
This implies that some recent immigrants and those who have been here for a long time can now work legally, and that those who are awaiting visas don’t have to worry about having to leave loved ones behind.
“We know people work regardless, but having work authorization allows people to work above ground to better capitalize on their skills and education,” Julia Galett, associate director of the U.S. immigration policy program at MPI stated.
The survey also revealed a change in the nationalities comprising the population of undocumented immigrants, with those from Mexico continuing their declining trend and those from China and Venezuela experiencing slight rises.
According to the MPI analysis, Biden’s recent extension of the Temporary Protected Status program to individuals from Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Cuba as well as Haiti, Mexico, and Haiti, has created opportunities for around one million people.
A new policy allowing “parole in place” has also granted protected status to half a million undocumented immigrants who are married to citizens of the United States.
“It used to be that people came without any kind of status and they were hiding and maybe they had strong social service needs, but they weren’t presenting them to their cities that they were arriving in,” Galett stated.
“Now people feel comfortable asking for help when they need it because they’ve been processed, they know that they’re allowed to stay, either pending their removal proceedings or, you know, because they have parole or something like that.” Galett added.
