President Biden has recently proposed granting amnesty to illegal immigrants who have married American citizens, a proposal that would apply to approximately 550,000 people. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) supported the move, calling it "compassionate."
Moreover, the proposed action holds potential benefits for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. In April, Rep. Grijalva had called for automatic extensions for these recipients. Now, the proposed amnesty could make it easier for them to obtain work visas, a significant step towards their integration into the workforce.
"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 in his press release.
The Arizona Congressman further suggested these undocumented spouses and DACA college graduates could contribute to the economy through their allowance to work legally, adding, "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."
Grijalva concluded by suggesting that President Biden "go further and undo the restrictive immigration measures recently instituted," possibly referring to executive action issued by President Biden at the beginning of June. This decision was heavily panned by Republicans, including Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who described it as "de facto amnesty."
"You mean the codification of this masquerade, this political ploy that is actually a de facto amnesty in furtherance of the open border policy that was put in place? Is that the one you mean? I do not have any opinion about it at all," Rep. Biggs mocked in comments to Cactus Politics.
In March, Grijalva also joined over 100 Congressmen in demanding improvements to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) CBP One asylum app, which would allow them to process migrants faster.
