The US government announced this Friday a new family reunification program for citizens of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
According to CBS, the process, which formally opens next Monday, is aimed at U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and nationals of those countries who have relatives approved to visit them.
The program provides a permit on a case-by-case basis for up to three years while those individuals await application to become permanent residents, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.
“The Department has shown that expanding new legal, safe, and orderly routes, along with strict enforcement, can be effective in reducing irregular and dangerous migration into the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro said in the memo. Mayorkas.
This process allows those who accept petitions based on family reasons to enter the United States with this permit.
The US government will issue appropriate authorizations to those entering the country whose travel has been approved. Then, when their immigrant visas are available, they can apply to become lawful permanent residents.
DHS recalled that the process is part of a package of measures announced in late April by the department and the State Department to address illegal immigration and expand avenues of legal protection.
The executive has already made it clear that the repeal of Title 42, an immigration measure implemented during the term of former Republican President Donald Trump (2017-2021), allowed hot evacuations at the border with Mexico under the pretext of the pandemic – no. It means that the border was open.
Officials stressed in April that their plan would be implemented in close coordination with regional partners “including the governments of Mexico, Canada, Spain, Colombia and Guatemala.”
The plan, he said, “builds on the successful outcomes of recent processes and has significantly reduced illegal border crossings through legal channels and the rapid expulsion of those who do not use those channels.”