McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens who have questions about a new federal program that will let them apply for legal residency can call a new bilingual hotline.
The Texas Immigration Law Council is offering the free hotline — in English and Spanish — for information on the application process, and to connect with legal advice on the new Parole in Place program.
The hotline can be reached at (956) 815-2827 and is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CDT through Aug. 26.
“We urge potential applicants to seek accredited legal professionals or call our free Texas bilingual hotline for eligibility requirements and general information about this new Parole in Place program,” said Jessica Cisneros, managing attorney for the Texas Immigration Law Council.
Applications for the new program will start to be accepted on Monday, Aug. 19. If approved, spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens will be granted work authorization, permanent residency and eventually qualify for citizenship without having to leave the country.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the program on June 18. It creates a new process for these undocumented groups of people who are already in the country to apply for citizenship in the future.
Cases are determined individually and applicants must:
Have been physically present in the United States for 10 years or more.
Not been convicted of a crime.
Not pose a national or public safety threat.
Spouses must have been legally married to U.S. citizens as of June 17, 2024.
Up to 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens and 50,000 noncitizen children could be eligible for the program, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says.
If approved, applicants will have three years to apply for their permanent residency without having to leave the United States.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Texas Immigration Law Council are warning applicants not to make payments for the program over the phone or email and to avoid scammers and notario públicos from charging high fees because they are not authorized to provide legal services related to immigration benefits in the United States.
“Beware of scams and notaries who are not licensed attorneys or authorized to give legal advice. Avoid fraudulent services that could cause applicants to lose their fee and risk being placed in removal proceedings,” Cisneros said.
“This policy from the Biden-Harris administration to keep families together is set to open for applications on Monday, and has the potential to transform the lives of tens of thousands of American families,” FWD.us President Todd Schulte said in a statement Friday. “This program uses the president’s long established legal parole authority to allow eligible individuals to adjust their status without having to uproot their lives and leave their families for years.”
FWD.us is a Washington, D.C.-based immigration and criminal justice reform advocacy organization.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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