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Immigrant families rejoice over Biden's expansive move toward citizenship, while some are left out

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Immigrant families rejoice over Biden's expansive move toward citizenship, while some are left out
News

News

Immigrant families rejoice over Biden's expansive move toward citizenship, while some are left out

2024-06-19 20:47 Last Updated At:20:50

HOUSTON (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of immigrants had reason to rejoice when President Joe Biden unveiled a highly expansive plan to extend legal status to spouses of U.S. citizens but, inevitably, some were left out.

Claudia Zúniga, 35, married in 2017, or 10 years after her husband came to the United States. He moved to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, after they wed, knowing that, by law, he had to live outside the country for years to gain legal status. “Our lives took a 180-degree turn,” she said.

Biden announced Tuesday that his administration will, in coming months, allow U.S. citizens' spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first depart the country for up to 10 years. About 500,000 immigrants may benefit, according to senior administration officials.

To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years and be married to a U.S. citizen, both as of Monday. Zúniga's husband is ineligible because he wasn't in the United States.

“Imagine, it would be a dream come true,” said Zúniga, who works part-time in her father's transportation business in Houston. “My husband could be with us. We could focus on the well-being of our children.”

Every immigration benefit — even those as sweeping as Biden's election-year offer — have cutoff dates and other eligibility requirements. In September, the Democratic president expanded temporary status for nearly 500,000 Venezuelans who were living in the United States on July 31, 2023. Those who had arrived a day later were out of luck.

The Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has shielded hundreds of thousands of people from deportation who came to the United States as young children and is popularly known as DACA, required applicants be in the United States on June 15, 2012 and have been in the country continuously for the previous five years.

About 1.1 million spouses in the country illegally are married to U.S. citizens, according to advocacy group FWD.us., meaning hundreds of thousands won't qualify because they were in the United States less than 10 years.

Immigration advocates were generally thrilled with the scope of Tuesday's announcement, just as Biden's critics called it a horribly misguided giveaway.

Angelica Martinez, 36, wiped away tears as she sat next to her children, ages 14 and 6 — watched Biden's announcement at the Houston office of FIEL, an immigrant advocacy group. A U.S. citizen since 2013, she described a flood of emotions, including regret for when her husband couldn't travel to Mexico for his mother's death five years ago.

“Sadness, joy all at the same time," said Martinez, whose husband came to Houston 18 years ago.

Brenda Valle of Los Angeles, whose husband has been a U.S. citizen since 2001 and, like her, was born in Mexico, has renewed her DACA permit every two years. “We can start planning more long-term, for the future, instead of what we can do for the next two years,” she said.

Magdalena Gutiérrez of Chicago, who has been married 22 years to a U.S. citizen and has three daughters who are U.S. citizens, said she had “a little more hope” after Biden’s announcement. Gutiérrez, 43, is eager to travel more across the United States without fearing an encounter with law enforcement that could lead to her being deported.

Allyson Batista, a retired Philadelphia teacher and U.S. citizen, married her Brazilian husband 20 years ago, recalled being told by lawyer that he could leave the country for 10 years or “remain in the shadows and wait for a change in the law.”

“Initially, when we got married, I was naive and thought, ‘OK, but I’m American. This isn’t going to be a problem. We’re going to fix this,’” Batista said. “I learned very early on that we were facing a pretty dire circumstance and that there would be no way for us to move forward in an immigration process successfully.”

The couple raised three children who are pursuing higher education. Batista is waiting for the details of how her husband can apply for a green card.

“I’m hopeful,” Batista said. “The next 60 days will really tell. But, obviously more than thrilled because every step forward is a step towards a final resolution for all kinds of immigrant families.”

About 50,000 noncitizen children with parents who are married to U.S. citizen could also potentially qualify, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. Biden also announced new regulations that will allow some DACA beneficiaries and other young immigrants to more easily qualify for long-established work visas.

This story corrects that Batista’s husband is Brazilian, not Mexican.

Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas. Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles, Melissa Perez Winder in Chicago and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed.

Antonio Valle, from right, two sons, Gohan and Seiya, and wife, Brenda, stand for a photo after an interview with The Associated Press in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The couple were both born in Mexico. Antonio Valle has been a U.S. citizen since 2001. Brenda Valle came to the U.S. with her family when she was 3 years old and will now be eligible for legal status under Biden's new plan. She is a DACA recipient and has worried every two years whether it would get renewed. Their sons are U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Antonio Valle, from right, two sons, Gohan and Seiya, and wife, Brenda, stand for a photo after an interview with The Associated Press in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The couple were both born in Mexico. Antonio Valle has been a U.S. citizen since 2001. Brenda Valle came to the U.S. with her family when she was 3 years old and will now be eligible for legal status under Biden's new plan. She is a DACA recipient and has worried every two years whether it would get renewed. Their sons are U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

President Joe Biden speaks during an event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program, in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during an event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program, in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Antonio Valle, left, and wife, Brenda, stand for a photo after an interview with The Associated Press in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Both were born in Mexico. Antonio Valle has been a U.S. citizen since 2001. Brenda Valle came to the U.S. with her family when she was 3 years old and will now be eligible for legal status under Biden's new plan. She is a DACA recipient and has worried every two years whether it would get renewed. Their sons are U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Antonio Valle, left, and wife, Brenda, stand for a photo after an interview with The Associated Press in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Both were born in Mexico. Antonio Valle has been a U.S. citizen since 2001. Brenda Valle came to the U.S. with her family when she was 3 years old and will now be eligible for legal status under Biden's new plan. She is a DACA recipient and has worried every two years whether it would get renewed. Their sons are U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

ATLANTA (AP) — The first general election debate of the 2024 election season is here, and it's a historic moment no matter what happens on stage.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are taking part in Thursday night's debate in Atlanta. Not only is it the first-ever matchup between a sitting president and a former one, but it's also the first debate for either candidate in this year's election. And it's happening so early in the general election campaign cycle that neither man will have accepted their party's formal nomination yet.

Here’s how to watch the debate:

The debate will start at 9 p.m. ET Thursday. It’s being moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

CNN is carrying the debate live on its broadcast network, as well as on CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max. Viewers can also stream it without a log in on CNN's website. Several networks have also agreed to carry the event live.

The setting for the first general election debate is CNN's studios in Atlanta. Unlike the Republican primary debates, no audience will be present.

Once a Republican stronghold, Georgia was a pivotal battleground in 2020. Both parties are preparing for another closely contested race in the state this year. Trump also faces an indictment in Georgia for his push to “find 11,780 votes” and overturn Biden’s victory based on false or unproven theories of voter fraud.

Two candidates — Biden and Trump — will be on stage. For a time, it seemed like they wouldn't be meeting up at all.

Biden’s campaign had proposed excluding third-party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from the debates outright. Under the debate commission’s rules, Kennedy or other third-party candidates could qualify if they secured ballot access sufficient to claim 270 Electoral Votes and polled at 15% or higher in a selection of national surveys.

Both CNN and ABC announced the same qualification threshold, saying candidates will need to reach at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet their standards, between March 13 and a week ahead of Thursday’s match up. Last week, CNN announced that Kennedy hadn’t met those markers.

Trump didn’t take part in any of the GOP primary debates, so this is his first time on stage this cycle. Biden didn’t debate any of the Democrats challenging him, either.

Last month, Biden announced that he would not participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Instead, his campaign proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates between the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees.

Hours later, Biden said he had accepted an invitation from CNN, adding, “Over to you, Donald.” Trump, who had insisted he would debate Biden anytime and anyplace, said on Truth Social he’d be there, too, adding, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!” Soon after that, they agreed to a second debate.

ABC will host the second debate on Sept. 10. The network has not offered details on where its event would be held, only that it would be moderated by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

And don't forget about the running mates. Trump hasn't named his yet, but Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CBS News to debate her eventual rival in studio on either July 23 or Aug. 13.

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

FILE - Ben Starett, lighting programmer for CNN, sets up lights in the spin room for the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

FILE - Ben Starett, lighting programmer for CNN, sets up lights in the spin room for the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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