Biden proposes citizenship for spouses of Americans ahead of presidential polls

United States President Joe Biden has announced a plan to grant citizenship to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, contrasting sharply with Republican rival Donald Trump’s mass deportation strategy.

According to Reuters, Biden, 81, criticized Trump for separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border and using offensive language about undocumented immigrants, claiming they were "poisoning the blood of our country."

"It's hard to believe it's being said, but he's actually saying these things out loud. And it's outrageous," Biden remarked during an event at the White House. "I'm not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration. I'm interested in fixing it," he added.

Despite opposing Trump’s restrictive immigration policies, Biden has faced record levels of migrant arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a tougher stance, he has barred most migrants from requesting asylum, mirroring Trump’s earlier ban.

Biden’s planned legalization program for the spouses of U.S. citizens could bolster his campaign message of supporting a more humane immigration system.

### What exactly is Biden proposing?
The new Biden program will be available to an estimated 500,000 spouses who have lived in the U.S. for at least ten years as of June 17, officials announced on Tuesday. Additionally, around 50,000 children under 21 with a U.S.-citizen parent will be eligible.

Currently, the U.S. provides a path to citizenship for immigrants married to Americans who entered the country legally on a visa. However, those who entered illegally typically must leave the U.S. for several years before being allowed to return legally.

The new program will enable spouses and their children to apply for permanent residence without traveling abroad, thus avoiding a potentially lengthy process and family separation.

The path to obtaining permanent residence could take months or years, and from there, they could apply for citizenship. Individuals with disqualifying criminal histories would not be eligible.

Implementation of the program will roll out in the coming months, and most beneficiaries are expected to be Mexican, Biden officials said during a call with reporters.