A bipartisan group of 43 members US Congress they called Biden administration to take administrative action to protect documented dreamers. Pending legal change, this group in a detailed letter has suggested measures such as deferred action and parole to protect more than 2.5 lakh documented dreamersIt is estimated that more than one lakh of them are children of Indian families.
When children of parents who hold nonimmigrant visas (such as those on H-1B visas) turn 21, they can no longer maintain H-4 visas for dependents. Once they get older (once they reach age 21), these children who are documented dreamers have no choice but to obtain an F-1 visa for international students or be deported on their own to India or another country. Over the past few years, immigration reform bills that included eliminating national limits for employment-related green cards have failed to come to fruition.
The group is led by Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Deborah Ross, who spearheaded the America’s Kids Act. “As we continue to seek legal solutions to permanently protect these individuals, we urge you to take administrative measures to protect the thousands of children who may be forced to self-deport each year,” the letter said. Proposed measures include using deferred action on a case-by-case basis for aging children of long-stay visa holders; expanding employment authorization eligibility for visa holders’ dependent children and persons with approved 1-140 (green card) applications; and finally, a process should be established for older children to seek conditional release on a case-by-case basis if this is deemed necessary for urgent humanitarian reasons or to provide an important public interest.