Lexington attorney explains new presidential executive order regarding immigration status

(ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — It’s a fight that many immigrant families have been battling, the pathway to residency or citizenship.
A new executive order from President Biden could help expedite that process for upwards of half a million undocumented citizens.

But who will it protect?

“We know what the basic requirements are, which the basic requirements are, you need to be married to a U.S. citizen, if you’re here undocumented, married to a U.S. citizen, as of June 17 2024, have been in the United States for at least the past 10 years, no significant negative factors such as no criminal record,” says Heather Hadi, an immigration attorney who has been practicing law for over a decade in Lexington, she calls the announcement a win for her clients and her own family.

“It’s going to not just change, you know, spouses of U.S. citizens, but also possibly children would be affected as well, who came in on undocumented, that are the children of those spouses. But we are in a kind of a time crunch. Because unfortunately, since this is not a law, it’s an executive order. It’s really tied to the presidency. And we’re right here, five, six months out from the election,” added Hadi.

Those with the Biden Administration say the president also wants to secure the border but also understands the importance of keeping families together.
Hadi adding that there is a similar application currently in use for parole in place.

“Parole In Place, PIP normally that’s used, for example, for individuals who were married to a U.S. citizen that’s in the military. We don’t know if they’re planning on changing the PIP application for this process, or if they’re going to use the same one,” she also says.

For Hadi, the new executive order also became personal.

“I am married to someone who’s undocumented, and so when this came out, you know, we were going to have to do it the old fashioned way. This is going to stop that, it’s going to keep our family unit together,” says Hadi.

Adding that while this may not be something permanent, it is a step in the right direction.

“This is going to help make people who are already here, and many of them are already paying taxes, this is going to help them to become legal, permanent residents on a pathway, possibly to citizenship,” she also says.

Hadi recommends that when an application or a deadline is set, to speak with an immigration attorney or an organization that advocates for immigrants to see if you qualify.