WASHINGTON ─ Today, Rep. Grijalva issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s actions allowing certain noncitizen spouses and children to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country and a new, streamlined way to help young people who have been educated in the U.S., including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, receive work visas more quickly. 

“This compassionate decision recognizes the invaluable contributions these individuals make to our communities and upholds the fundamental principle of keeping families together,” said Rep. Grijalva. “By providing a pathway for undocumented spouses to work legally, we are investing in our nation’s economic wellbeing while simultaneously giving them and their families the dignity and respect they deserve. It will also provide peace of mind to thousands of college-educated Dreamers who have only ever called this country home by removing barriers and making it easier for them to obtain work visas.

While these are significant steps forward in our ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and humane immigration system, I urge President Biden to go further and undo the restrictive immigration measures recently instituted, and open additional legal pathways for migrants to contribute fully to the prosperity of our nation.”

According to FWD.us estimates, approximately 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens will meet the basic eligibility requirements for parole in place. In Arizona alone, more than 15,000 undocumented spouses married to U.S. citizens could be eligible. 

Fact sheet from the Department of Homeland Security on eligibility and new process information can be found here.