A new measure taken by Biden brings a renewed sense of hope for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, children under 21 years of age and dreamers.

July 5, 2024
An american flag is waving in the wind between two tall buildings.

This Tuesday, June 18th, the government announced a new policy that will shield undocumented spouses from deportation and offer them a pathway to citizenship and the ability to work legally in the United States.

According to the New York Times, «The new benefits for undocumented spouses will not take effect immediately; senior Biden administration officials said they expected the program to be rolled out by late summer. Those who qualify will then be able to apply for the benefits.»

This comes on the twelfth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which protects individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children from deportation.

The new policy will apply to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and will allow them to work legally in the U.S. It is estimated that this will benefit around 500,000 spouses and 50,000 young people under 21 whose parents are married to U.S. citizens.

Currently, those who marry a U.S. citizen have the possibility of obtaining American citizenship, but if they entered the country illegally, they must return to their home country to obtain a Green Card, leading to long periods of separation for families.

This new measure aims to prevent these immigrants from having to return to their home countries and instead allow them to remain in the United States while they obtain legal status.

According to the New York Times, «To be eligible, spouses must have lived in the United States for 10 years and been married to a U.S. citizen by June 17th. They cannot have criminal records. Benefits would also extend to approximately 50,000 children of undocumented spouses who have become stepchildren of U.S. citizens.»

At the time of publishing this note, both the immigrants covered by this measure and all institutions and professionals involved in immigration matters are eagerly awaiting the exact date when this new measure will take effect.

Guidelines for the programme (Taken from aljazeera.com/ )

To qualify for the spousal programme, an applicant must have lived in the US for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a US citizen.

If their application is approved, the applicant would have three years to apply for a green card and receive a temporary work permit. In the meantime, they would be shielded from deportation.

If granted a green card, they could eventually apply for US citizenship.

The announcement also includes measures to simplify the work visa process for individuals, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have graduated from an accredited U.S. institution and have secured a job offer in a related field. .

Fees to apply have yet to be determined.

At Pikes Peak Immigration, we are excited to assist hundreds of families who will benefit from this new measure.

For more information, call us at 719-602-4477.

A new measure taken by Biden brings a renewed sense of hope for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, children under 21 years of age and dreamers.

Arrests of undocumented immigrants outside immigration courts have increased.

By 7070266136 • May 29, 2025
According to sources such as Newbreak, several specific cases have emerged where a judge dismisses the case during the hearing, but ICE officers are waiting outside the courthouse to detain the individual as they leave. Newbreak.com recently reported that at least eight arrests of this kind have taken place in Memphis, with similar cases occurring in other parts of the country as well. One of the most recent known cases involved a 20-year-old Venezuelan student who was arrested by ICE officers after leaving a courtroom in New York. The young man, named Dylan, was in the process of applying for asylum. He attended the hearing with his mother, without a lawyer, believing it was a routine appearance that would have no consequences. In another instance, four asylum seekers were arrested by ICE on May 27, 2025, at the San Francisco Immigration Court while attending hearings to present their asylum applications. According to an article published by La Nación, a New York judge reported that ICE agents have been arresting undocumented immigrants inside state courthouses, despite existing laws that prohibit such practices. These arrests have raised serious concerns among civil rights advocates and immigrant communities, particularly in light of the stricter immigration policies implemented since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025. Importantly, in most of these cases, the individuals arrested attended their hearings without legal representation. This likely contributes to the effectiveness of these arrests, as ICE may be taking advantage of the detainees’ lack of legal knowledge. While having an attorney present does not guarantee protection from arrest, it is considered a significant advantage. Legal representation can help build a stronger case and present more compelling legal arguments to prevent arbitrary detention. At Pikes Peak Immigration, we continue to fight for the rights of our immigrant communities. If you need legal guidance, don’t hesitate to contact us at 719-602-4477.

Justice Department Fired Attorney Who Opposed the Erroneous Deportation of an Immigrant

By 7070266136 • May 9, 2025
On April 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice fired immigration attorney Erez Reuveni following his handling of the case of Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Reuveni had acknowledged during a court hearing that the deportation was an "administrative error" and expressed frustration over the government's failure to provide clear answers on how to reverse the situation. According to CNN, “Reuveni was initially placed on administrative leave days after expressing frustration over the government's inability to provide answers to a judge’s questions in the case. In court, he said of the government’s position: ‘Our only arguments are jurisdictional... He should not have been sent to El Salvador.’” His dismissal was interpreted as a consequence of failing to fully support the administration’s official position. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the decision, stating that lawyers must “zealously” advocate for the administration’s policies or face consequences. Presidential advisor Stephen Miller downplayed the error, blaming it on a poorly worded line written by the attorney. However, Reuveni’s case is not an isolated incident. According to NBC Boston, “The U.S. Department of Justice has fired more than two dozen employees, most of whom worked in immigration courts... An immigration judge assigned to Massachusetts, who was fired on Friday, and the union representing immigration judges nationwide are speaking out about the dismissals, which come as President Donald Trump moves swiftly to reduce the federal workforce.” As for Kilmar Abrego, “a federal judge ordered his return to the U.S., but the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the order. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, refused to facilitate his return, labeling him a ‘terrorist’ and claiming he would not ‘traffic a terrorist back into the U.S.,’” El Salvador News recently reported. Despite intimidation and increasingly harsh immigration policies, at Pikes Peak Immigration, we continue to defend immigrants and pursue every solution to keep families together.

The Department of Justice granted DOGE access to confidential immigration information.

By 7070266136 • April 25, 2025
According to documents reviewed by The Washington Post , the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently authorized access for approximately six advisors from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the ECAS system—a highly confidential database that contains detailed information on millions of immigrants, including names, addresses, medical histories, and court testimonies. This system, typically restricted to attorneys and federal investigators, holds records of all interactions—both legal and undocumented—between immigrants and the U.S. government dating back to the 1990s. Among the DOGE advisors granted access are individuals connected to Elon Musk, including employees from his private equity firm. One of them, Marko Elez, has previously been linked to racist social media posts. This access was granted despite a federal judge in Maryland issuing a temporary restraining order in February of this year against the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In her opinion, the judge stated that the plaintiffs—which include members of several major labor unions—demonstrated that the Department of Education and the OPM "likely violated the Privacy Act by disclosing personal information to DOGE affiliates without consent," as reported by Telemundo40 a few months ago. The access is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration and DOGE to collect data from multiple federal agencies—including Medicare, the IRS, the SSA, and HUD—with the aim of ramping up deportations and excluding immigrants from social benefits. Some tactics reportedly include declaring living immigrants as deceased to pressure them into leaving the country. As The Washington Post reported after investigating the matter, "DOGE has frequently sought data originally provided for specific purposes—such as tax filing or housing assistance. The team's methods have alarmed legal and privacy experts, as well as federal employees, who note that the data DOGE is analyzing is typically accessible only to a select group of highly trained personnel." Legal and privacy experts have raised serious concerns over the lack of oversight and the risks posed by granting access to such sensitive data—especially for immigrants who have followed legal immigration procedures. If you are an immigrant or know someone at risk of deportation, contact us for assistance at 719-602-4477.
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