Joe Biden’s Immigration Move Sparks GOP Rage, Democrat Celebrations

President Joe Biden‘s plan to reportedly offer migrants married to U.S. citizens work permits and protection from deportation has sparked praise from Democrats and condemnation from Republicans.

Biden on Tuesday is set to announce a “parole in place” program for nearly 500,000 undocumented spouses of American citizens during a ceremony celebrating former President Barack Obama‘s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The program will reportedly shield the spouses from being deported and offer them work permits if they have been in the U.S. for at least 10 years. The president is also expected to unveil a policy change allowing DACA recipients to receive visas instead of temporary work authorizations.

With Biden’s immigration policies remaining a key issue ahead of his impending November election rematch with former President Donald Trump, reactions to the expected policy announcement differed wildly depending on political affiliation.

In a Truth Social post earlier on Monday, Trump complained that “Biden is preparing to give MASS AMNESTY to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens,” calling the move “unsustainable” while vowing to “SHUT DOWN THE BORDER and start deporting millions of Biden’s Illegal Criminals” if reelected.

Trump 2024 campaign adviser Chris LaCivita predicted in a post to X, formerly Twitter, that there would “be plans to register [the migrants] to vote … this year” while reacting to the reported details of the Biden program.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton argued on X that Biden’s executive order earlier this month placing limits on asylum-seekers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border was a “sham,” while also taking the opportunity to highlight the case of an undocumented migrant who was arrested on Friday, accused of killing a woman in Maryland last year.

“The timing of this announcement is a new low for this administration, and shows that the recent Executive Order is nothing but a politically motivated sham,” Cotton wrote. “Rolling out this unlawful order for mass amnesty as the country mourns the death of Rachel Morin at the hands of an illegal migrant is a disgrace.”

Former Trump adviser Stephen Miller expressed a similar sentiment, writing on X that Biden was giving “unconstitutional amnesty to illegal aliens during a border invasion.”

Republican Senator John Cornyn, in comments to AP, warned that the policy would act as a “huge magnet” and “attract even more people” to illegally cross the border.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House via email late Monday night.

Democratic lawmakers celebrated the news, with Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Nanette Barragán telling AP that the policy would inspire “tears of joy paired with some sighs of relief” for affected migrants and their families.

Democratic Senator Alex Padilla told the news agency that the move amounted to “justice” and was “long overdue for the people who have been waiting but are key to so many thriving families and communities.”

In a statement emailed to Newsweek, Mari Urbina, managing director for the progressive group Indivisible, called Biden’s expected policy announcement “smart politics as well as the right moral choice” and an example of the stark contrast between the incumbent and the former president.

“Democrats win when they’re the party of solutions and compassion, the party grounded in families and stabilizing communities,” Urbina said. “Trump and the Republicans have fully embraced being the extremist party that terrorizes families, fighting to hold onto power no matter the cost.”

“The more President Biden’s essential decency can stand in contrast to Trump’s cruelty and chaos through decisive actions like this, the more he’ll be able to energize an enthusiastic base to fight for his re-election,” she added.

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