‘It’s his DACA moment’: Advocates ecstatic over Biden immigration plan

President Biden’s announcement to protect some undocumented immigrants from deportation is galvanizing Hispanic organizers on the left, who see the move as immigration’s biggest victory since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program launched in 2012.

The action is also drawing expected criticism from the right, with Republicans accusing Biden of making electoral politics protecting the spouses and children of U.S. citizens.

But groups representing these families are ready to build on that criticism: For months, they have pleaded with Biden to take an overtly political approach to helping long-term undocumented immigrants and have sharply criticized his border security measures.

Biden formally unveiled his new plan at a White House celebration marking the 12th anniversary of DACA, surrounded and applauded by lawmakers and advocates who most fervently criticized its border security initiative two weeks ago.

Taking center stage behind Biden were Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Nanette Barragán (D-Calif), Representative Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) – a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign who has been critical of the plan of border security – and the deputy. Sylvia García (D-Texas).

But the president was also joined by his two main allies in promoting the border security rule, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

“Today is a good day,” Biden said, after being introduced by Javier Quiroz Castro, a nurse and DACA recipient who is married to a U.S. citizen.

The rest of the White House stage was packed with lawmakers, including Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) and Ben Ray Luján (DN.M.), and community leaders such as UnidosUS President Janet Murguía, the executive director of United We Dream, Greisa Martínez Rosas and the president of Mi Familia Vota, Héctor Sánchez Barba.

For the intersection of Latino politics and immigration advocacy, it was an all-star cast.

This participation highlights the deep cultural significance of outreach to immigrants, particularly among Hispanics, a significance that is sometimes forgotten outside the US Hispanic community.

“My mom and dad still talk to this day about amnesty of the ochentasand how that’s what gave them a path to citizenship, and that’s what brought them out of the shadows,” said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), referring to the 1986 amnesty led by then-President Reagan.

Ramirez, who attended the ceremony with her DACA-enrolled husband, said people who benefit from this relief package will remember Biden just like their parents remember Reagan.

“They don’t think of him as a Republican. They don’t think of him as a Democrat. They think of him as a president who did something for them that no one else had done. And I think there’s a lot of people who are thinking and wondering right now, you know,’democrat, republican – Democrat, Republican, none of them did anything for us,’” she said.

“They’ll be able to say, ‘I don’t care if he’s a Democrat or a Republican, Joe Biden is taking care of my family.’”

Democrats are also optimistic about how they will talk about immigrant aid to voters across the country.

“I just think it’s great policy, and I think it’s going to be virtually impossible for Republicans to argue about it, you know — they’ll just scream ‘border.’ But, you know, I think the American people will understand that this is as common sense as it gets,” said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas).

The new plan simplifies the process for undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for permanent residency and provides three-year work authorizations and deportation deferrals for these applicants.

Biden’s plan will also make it easier for undocumented college graduates to apply for work visas, with a significantly reduced risk of becoming stranded abroad in the process.

Immigrant advocates, with a new victory in hand, are preparing to take that message to Latinos in battleground states including Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

“We know that Pennsylvania will make or break the election, and we are here as CASA in Action because we are preparing for a massive voter mobilization program, and the Latino community needs to know that Biden’s promise to keep families together — he is actively working on this and moving forward with this executive order that will affect so many people across the country,” said Jossie Flor Sapunar, national communications director for CASA in Action, the political arm of an immigration advocacy group in Pennsylvania. Virginia and Maryland.

While Biden’s action didn’t come as a surprise, there was a day-and-night quality to the tone of advocates before and after the news.

“This is really the kind of policy that we need from Biden, a policy that is uplifting, that is positive, that is affirming, that recognizes the important role that immigrants play in our country, and that is consistent with the vision that he laid out when he first ran,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, a progressive immigration group.

“I absolutely believe this is your DACA moment. It’s very generous. It protects a large number of people, and I think about the voters who have asked, ‘What positive has this administration done for our community?’ This provides a specific answer at a time when we really need to show the contrast between what this administration intends to do on immigration and what [former President] Trump wants to do it.”

For the Biden administration, the vociferous praise from a key constituency is refreshing, but advocates have long made clear that their Holy Grail is full legalization for all 11 million long-term undocumented immigrants.

In a letter to Biden on Monday, 127 organizations led by United We Dream and Community Change Action called for the actions announced on Tuesday, in addition to the expansion of Temporary Protected Status and relief for undocumented family caregivers.

“These policies are within his executive power, which has been used consistently by both Republican and Democratic administrations to provide vital aid to individuals and families,” they wrote.

“Furthermore, these types of policies enjoy overwhelming support from the American people, who are eager to see action to fix our failed immigration system. This is an opportunity to draw a clear contrast to the xenophobic demagoguery and hateful anti-immigrant fear-mongering of former President Trump and his allies.”

And while the world of immigration advocacy is on a roll, concerns remain about how a decade of culture wars has reshaped perceptions on the issue.

“What our nation’s history and current polls suggest is that there is certainly a symbiotic relationship between the words of our community leaders, the policies enacted by our elected representatives, media headlines and public perception. One has the power to feed, reinforce and perpetuate the other – a power that can be used to advance or regress the rights of immigrants in the US,” said Faisal Al-Juburi, director of external relations at RAÍCES.

“As such, we believe that policies that reaffirm our nation’s commitment to protecting families, regardless of citizenship, can positively influence the hearts and minds of the American public. With policies that are humane, rather than punitive and criminalizing, our elected officials can shape public understanding of our community and activate urgent support for repairing our nation’s broken immigration system.”