Vasquez Statement on the Administration’s Immigration Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, U.S.Representative Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) released the following statement on the Administration’s action related to immigration:

“Today’s announcement is a critical step towards keeping families together and expanding legal pathways to permanent residency. This action will provide critical legal protections for over half a million noncitizens and will allow hard-working immigrants who have contributed to our economy for at least the last decade the chance to remain with their families in the United States. This announcement is the first of many steps that must be taken to ensure we are comprehensively addressing our broken immigration system.”

“Republican inaction in Congress prevents our border communities from achieving their full potential. My package of common-sense, bipartisan border security and immigration reform bills would build on today’s critical announcement by providing legal pathways to residency for workers in critical industries, while also addressing fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking.”  

This announcement comes following the 12th anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy which has allowed individuals who were brought to the United States as children to live without fear of deportation.  

Description of Executive Action: 

• The Department of Homeland Security announced an action to allow certain noncitizen spouses and children to apply for lawful permanent residency – a status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
• In order to be eligible, noncitizens must have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements.
• This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.
• This action will also allow individuals, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.

Background:

Vasquez has led bipartisan, common-sense solutions in Congress, including a package of bills to reform our immigration process and to address the challenges we face at the border: 
 

• The bipartisan No More Narcos Act, which protects students from the dangerous influence of cartels.
• The bipartisan Stop COYOTES Act, which stiffens penalties for human traffickers.
• The Smart Border Protection Act, which invests in additional Customs Officers, infrastructure, and inspection technology at ports of entry to stop the flow of fentanyl.
• The Strengthening Our Workforce Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for critical workers.
• The Humane Accountability Act, which improves oversight of migrant detention facilities to ensure detained individuals have access to legal resources and are being treated with dignity.
• The bipartisan Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act, which stands up a Joint Task Force focused on preventing the flow of illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, from entering the U.S. 
• Called on Congress to address our broken immigration system and provide emergency federal funding to support border communities.
• Led the effort to secure funding to stop fentanyl smuggling by installing new technology at our ports of entry.

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