President Joe Biden don dey set to announce new policy wey go protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, according to administration officials.

Di action go apply to pipo wey don dey in di kontri for at least 10 years and dem go allow dem to work in di US legally.

E mark di most significant relief programme for undocumented migrants already in di US since di Obama administration announce di Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca, in 2012.

Di White House believe say more dan 500,000 spouses of US citizens go benefit, in addition to 50,000 young pipo under 21 wey dia parent dey married to American citizen.

Earlier in June, oga Biden vow to make di US immigration system "more fair and more just".

Polls show say immigration na primary concern for many voters ahead of di presidential election dis November.

Di announcement come ahead of one event on Tuesday wey mark di 12th anniversary of di Daca programme, wey dey shield ova 530,000 migrants wey enta di US as children - known as Dreamers - from deportation.

On Monday, senior administration officials tok say undocumented spouses of US citizens go qualify if dem don live in di kontri for 10 years and dem don marry as of 17 June.

Pipo wey dey qualify get three years to apply for permanent residency and dem go dey eligible for three-year work permit.

On average, di White House believe say pipo wey dey eligible for di process don dey US for 23 years. Majority dem born for Mexico.

Dem get "parole in place" and allow to remain in di US while dia status go change.

NumbersUSA, one immigration reform group, say di new policy dey “unconscionable”.

Di organisation chief executive, James Massa, inside one statement tok say: “Rather dan stopping di worst border crisis in history, President Biden don overreach im executive authority to use unconstitutional process, decieve voters and dia elected representatives in Congress, to send message say amnesty dey available to pipo wey enta United States illegally."

Alex Cuic, na immigration lawyer and professor for Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, tell di BBC say while di action go affect "narrow group", e mark di "start" for one segment of di US immigrant population wey go historically face complications normalising dia status in di country, even wen eligible.

"Good majority of dem [go need] to comot for di kontri so dem go fit come back lawfully," e tok. "E be like say dem physically enta di US, but dia immigration 'soul' no come with dem."

By allowing beneficiaries to parole in place, Oga Cuic add, officials "kill off di need to separate families" wen one spouse need to leave di kontri to apply for lawful permanent residence.

Di application process go likely dey open by di end of summer, one senior administration official tok on Monday.

Di White House dey plan to ease and speed up di visa process for highly skilled undocumented immigrants wey don collect degrees from US universities or wey don get job offer in dia field, including Dreamers.

Mr Biden announcement comes two weeks afta e issue sweeping executive order wey allow US officials to quickly remove migrants entering di US illegally witout processing dia asylum requests.

Dat go happun once dem don meet daily threshold and di border is "overwhelmed", di White House tok inside statement.

Di American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, sue di Biden administration last week, arguing say e dey violate US immigration law wit dis action.

At di time of di announcement, Oga Biden urge pipo wey dey consider di measure "too strict" to "be patient".

"[In] di weeks ahead, I go tok on how we fit make our immigration system more fair and just," e tok.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at di American Immigration Council, tok say while di two announcements "no fit intersect wit each oda at all", di more recent action fit help di administration "get some positive headlines afa di pushback" dem don receiv ova di border announcement.

"Di Biden administration don receive a lot of flak from pipo wey dey tok say dia focus na on new arrivals, wen dem bin many long-term undocumented immigrants wey dey stuck trying to navigate di tough immigration system,"e add.

"I tink di actions you don see di president taking ova di last few weeks really go towards addressing both those concerns," Oga Reichlin-Melnick add.


Immigration don emerged as primary concern for many US voters ahead of di November election.