Steps will be taken to grant citizenship to children of legal immigrants: US

(PTI) Washington, Dt

In the United States, the Biden regime is taking steps to find a legal way to grant citizenship to the children of legal immigrants. Immigrants, including an estimated 200,000 Indians who entered the United States legally as children or minors, are feared to be repatriated as adults. Asked about fears among children, especially among a section of Indian children, White House Press Secretary Czech Saki said the Biden administration was working to find a legal solution to give green cards to such children.

These children or minors, known as documented dreamers, live in the United States as dependents of long-term nonimmigrant visa holders, including H-1B workers. Under U.S. law, children are not dependent on their parents after the age of 21, leading to fears of repatriation of hundreds of immigrants. According to the group 'Improve the Dream', which represents such children, there are more than two lakh such children or underage Indians in America.

"We are taking steps to find a legal way to grant citizenship to such children who have been waiting for green cards for a long time," Saki said. The Biden administration is considering granting citizenship, especially to children who have come to the United States as family members. A White House spokesman said President Joe Biden's stance was clear that the US immigration system needed to be reformed.

That includes improving the visa process, he said. His stance is clear in the immigration bill sent to Congress. These include deciding on past applications, reducing the long wait for a green card, and improving the family-based immigration system by increasing each country's visa quota. The bill gives H-1B visa holders the right to work and prevent children from leaving the system when they are young.

In June, a group of lawmakers led by Congresswomen Deborah Ross and Ami Berra recommended Secretary of the Homeland Security Department Mayorcas to increase protection for children and minors raised in the United States as dependents of long-term work visa holders. The letter recommended the inclusion of 'documented dreamers' in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) criteria.