Biden-Harris Team Faces Backlash Over New Migrant ‘Amnesty’ Program Announced During DNC

The Biden-Harris administration recently launched a program that critics are labeling as an amnesty initiative for illegal immigrants, coinciding with the week of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

The program, named “Keeping Families Together,” aims to provide temporary legal status to an estimated 500,000 noncitizen spouses and another 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens.

The move has sparked significant controversy, particularly among conservative circles, with concerns that it represents a sweeping amnesty that bypasses congressional approval, as reported by MSN on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, voiced his concerns to Fox News Digital.

“This is a massive amnesty that Congress never authorized,” Arthur stated, emphasizing that such an initiative could be challenging to reverse, even if Republicans take action to do so in the future.

He drew parallels to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which, despite its contentious nature, has proven difficult to dismantle.

The “Keeping Families Together” program is designed to grant parole to noncitizen spouses and stepchildren, allowing them to temporarily live and work in the United States.

The policy has specific eligibility criteria, such as requiring that noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens must have been under the age of 21 as of last June.

However, the policy’s provisions also include a caveat regarding the criminal history of applicants, raising further concerns among critics about the potential risks involved.

Supporters of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies argue that the program is a humane response to the challenges faced by mixed-status families, where U.S. citizens are often separated from their noncitizen loved ones due to immigration laws.

They assert that the program is a necessary step to ensure that families can remain united, especially in cases where deportation or separation would cause significant hardship.

However, opponents argue that this move is yet another example of the administration’s willingness to circumvent the legislative process in favor of executive action.

They warn that such unilateral decisions could set a dangerous precedent, undermining the role of Congress in shaping immigration policy.

Moreover, they contend that the program could incentivize further illegal immigration by signaling that the U.S. government is willing to grant legal status to those who enter the country unlawfully.

As the debate continues, the “Keeping Families Together” program is likely to face legal challenges from those who believe it oversteps the bounds of executive authority.

The controversy surrounding this policy highlights the broader, ongoing battle over immigration reform in the United States, where the balance between compassion and the rule of law remains a deeply polarizing issue.