Biden Administration Considers Protection for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens

The steps under consideration include protecting them from deportation and providing access to work permits, according to three officials with knowledge of the discussions.

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Asylum advocates, including Representative Pramila Jayapal, far left, on Capitol Hill last week.

The Biden administration is considering a proposal to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and allow them to work in the country legally, according to four officials with knowledge of the discussions.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said that no final decision had been made and that the shape of the policy was unclear. Any such program could also provide some spouses an easier route to obtain U.S. citizenship.

The proposal comes as President Biden has moved to address political liabilities in his immigration policy in recent days.

Last week, he moved to bar asylum for migrants crossing into the United States as part of an effort to toughen border enforcement, eliciting criticism from members of his own party. And now, a move to protect undocumented immigrants in the United States could help Mr. Biden address some of the fierce resistance that order elicited and shore up support among immigrant advocates, Latino voters and his progressive base.

The program said to be under consideration is known as “parole in place,” which has been used in the past for other populations, like families of military members. It gives undocumented immigrants in the United States protection from deportation for a certain period of time and access to a work permit.

Crucially, it also makes it easier for some undocumented immigrants to gain new access to a green card and a path to U.S. citizenship.

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