Hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the USA are being given a chance to stay legally in the country. This is through a presidential order from Democrat Joe Biden's White House, which is being made public on Tuesday, reports US media.
The initiative applies to undocumented immigrants who have been in the USA for more than ten years and are married to an American citizen, as well as their children. The group, estimated to be around 500,000 people, is now being given the opportunity to apply for a so-called green card and work permit within a three-year period, without the threat of deportation.
The measure is being described as the most comprehensive on immigration in several years. It is being put forward barely five months before the presidential election between Biden and Republican Donald Trump, at a time when Biden is struggling with lack of public support.
The presidential order is also being made public on the twelfth anniversary of when Biden's then-boss, President Barack Obama, presented the migration programme Daca. It protects children of people who entered the USA illegally from deportation and has been the subject of fierce criticism from Donald Trump during his time in the White House.
