In a recent letter to President Joe Biden, 41 Democrat mayors and county officials have requested the administration’s help in granting parole and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. The officials highlighted that around 11.3 million American citizens share a home with an undocumented individual, which makes this issue crucial for key electoral states such as Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.
To address the situation, the letter asked the Department of Homeland Security to exercise its authority and grant parole to both long-term and recent undocumented immigrants, thereby enabling them to qualify for work authorization. Granting legal employment opportunities to these individuals would lead to higher wages, protection from workplace exploitation, and increased contributions to the economy.
The Democrats emphasized that although undocumented aliens pay a significant amount in taxes, their overall negative economic impact is much greater. According to their analysis, each illegal immigrant or U.S.-born child of an illegal immigrant costs American taxpayers $8,776 annually.
To address this issue, the Democrats suggested that the Biden administration could initiate the process by expanding parole currently granted to spouses and parents of U.S. military servicemen. This expansion would benefit around 1.2 million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens residing in the country.
The letter also recommends focusing on a work permit program for undocumented immigrants who have been living in the United States for at least ten years. Additionally, the Democrats suggested implementing a parole program for “Dreamers” who are too young to qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Since taking office in January 2021, President Joe Biden has implemented several policies aimed at reforming the immigration system, such as halting the construction of the border wall and reversing the ban on travel from terror-prone countries. However, critics argue that these actions have exacerbated the ongoing border crisis.
The administration maintains that it is working to control the border situation, with President Biden calling for Congressional action to fix America’s broken immigration system. In a May 20 statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre highlighted the bipartisan agreement on reforms as an example of progress in this area.
Despite these efforts, Republicans have criticized the administration’s approach, with many lawmakers calling for the restoration of former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy to better secure the border. The Border Act of 2024, which includes a provision allowing for shutting down the border if more than 5,000 illegal immigrants are encountered per day for seven consecutive days, has been rejected by Senate Republicans, who argue that it would only worsen the current crisis.