Lawmakers, advisers call on Biden to give legal status to undocumented caregivers

With President Biden’s move to provide legal status for some undocumented immigrantsSome Democratic lawmakers, White House advisers and advocacy groups are calling on him to extend work authorizations to certain long-established immigrant caregivers.

They are asking the government to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for work permits if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, have passed criminal background checks and are a U.S. citizen or legal resident who would face serious hardship if their caregiver were deported. If enacted, it could affect thousands of people living in the US, according to advocacy group The Immigration Hub.

They would also like to see a path to legal status for parents of children who are U.S. citizens and who have a disability and who would face dire consequences if their parental caregiver were deported.

Mirtha Arriaga, who sits on the board of directors of “American Families United,” one of the groups involved in the effort, is a mother of five in California and said she constantly worries about the possible deportation of her husband, who is from Mexico.

Three of her five children have been diagnosed with autism, are non-verbal and suffer from learning difficulties. Their health needs forced Arriaga to quit her job so she could care for them at home. Her husband provides the family’s only income, but he is an undocumented immigrant.

“It’s really difficult to live with the daily fear that at any moment my husband could be deported,” Arriaga said. “My children can’t take care of themselves. They need us.”

She said she loses sleep over the possibility of her deportation. “It’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” she said.

The informal coalition of advocates, which includes Reps. Nanette Barragan, Joaquin Castro and Barbara Lee, has been asking caregivers for help for several months. And they argue it could also help boost Biden’s re-election campaign by helping this critical segment of voters, including Latinos.

“It’s a clear signal to Latinos, immigrants and your base voters that you have an affirmative view on immigration,” said Lorella Praeli, co-chair of Community Change and Community Change Action. “You’re not just extending Donald Trump’s policies at the border, but you have an affirmative vision and that helps clarify who you are to voters on the issue of immigration.”

In at least one swing state where the Latino vote could be decisive, there has been broad interest in extending legal status to undocumented immigrants who are longtime residents. Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus and AANHPI Nevada Legislative Caucus sent a letter to Mr. Biden on June 13, emphasizing the critical role immigrants play in Nevada’s communities and economy and highlighting their contributions.

“In the absence of congressional action to pass immigration reform legislation, hundreds of thousands of immigrant families, including Dreamers and essential undocumented workers who have contributed for years to our local communities and economies, continue to live in fear of deportation,” reads the letter. obtained by CBS News.

According to polls conducted in swing states by The Immigration Hub, 74% of voters support administrative actions that would allow up to 1.6 million long-settled immigrants to continue working and contributing to their families and the nation’s economy.

“Most Americans want people to be able to contribute and pay taxes, especially if they have lived here for 10 years,” said Kerri Talbot, executive director of the Immigration Center. “Unfortunately, it’s very difficult for people to get work permits, but these are very, very nice cases of people who have been contributing for a long time.”

Ongoing discussions to expand protections for this group of undocumented immigrants emerge as President Biden previously announced This week, an expansion of legal status for unauthorized immigrants married to U.S. citizens if they have lived in the country for at least a decade.

Biden also announced an executive action that will speed up the process of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children – known as “Dreamers” – and other undocumented immigrants to request exemptions to make it easier to obtain temporary visas, such as H-1B visas for highly skilled workers.

“What we’ve seen is that Republican-led states challenge these types of actions taken by the executive branch, but the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have full legal authority to expand access to this type of aid. ” said Praeli.