CHC Chair Barragán Applauds President Biden’s Executive Orders to Keep Families Together

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Nanette Barragán (CA-44) issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s Executive Orders that will provide protections for non-citizen spouses of U.S. citizens and their non-citizen children who have resided in America for a decade and allow qualified college-educated Dreamers to obtain work visas.

“Today is a happy day for many immigrant families across America. There will be tears of joy paired with sighs of relief as the significance of these executive actions by President Biden sets in for these families. The CHC applauds President Biden and his Administration for their actions to keep families together with protections for the non-citizen spouses, and their non-citizen children, of U.S. citizens, who have been in this country for at least ten years. These are the most significant protections for immigrant families since the DACA program was first announced in 2012 by the Obama-Biden administration.

“An estimated 550,000 spouses and children could be impacted by this executive action. These families can go to sleep tonight knowing that their loved ones will not be going anywhere and that they will be on a path to becoming legal permanent residents.

“For months, the CHC, alongside stakeholders, advocacy groups, and millions of immigrants and their loved ones, have advocated to keep families together and make it easier for them to contribute to our economy and communities as they navigate our complex, broken immigration system. In May, a small group of members from CHC leadership met with President Biden. Our top request at the White House that day was for the President to use his parole in place authority to provide these protections.

“The CHC also advocated for protections for Dreamers, so CHC is happy to see President Biden also announce new actions that will allow DACA recipients and Dreamers who have earned a U.S. college degree and have been offered high-skilled job opportunities the chance to more easily obtain work visas. These young people were brought to America at a young age, dreamed big, graduated from college, and have become part of their communities as they live the American Dream. They are our friends, neighbors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and engineers. The United States is the only home they know. 

“While there is no substitute for Congressional action, and the DACA program hangs in the balance, today’s actions will provide much needed relief to American families across the country.”

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