The undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens now have a pathway to citizenship.

President Biden unveiled a new program that would grant temporary legal status and work for a period of up to three years while their case is being handled.

As had Goldberg reports, the new policy could impact some of the 16,000 DACA recipients here in Jersey.

For DACA recipients.

It can be a decades long process to become an American citizen.

This is literally the only place that I've ever lived, ever come to knowing, if anything, because mind you, I came here when I was three years old.

So anything that I might have experienced nearby, I might have forgotten.

It's a frustrating process for many of us because it you know, it's very uncertain what the future holds.

Eric Cruz Morales left Mexico for the U.S. with his family when he was eight as a DACA recipient.

He fills out forms and pays about $600 in fees every other year, a process he says is cumbersome.

But under a new program from the Biden administration, it would streamline the process for some DACA recipients to become citizens.

I think it's a great step in the right direction.

President Joe Biden has made a few major moves on immigration recently.

An executive order has created a pathway to citizenship for people married to American citizens for ten years.

These people would also stay in the U.S. while their case is being heard and would be on work visas for three years.

Immigration advocates have mixed views on this, with skepticism about timing.

It's very hypocritical to be able to do this.

You know, I'm not sure you know, what the reasons were.

For me, I think, you know, it's political reasons that he's doing this now, when he could have been doing this at the beginning of of of his term.

I do appreciate what Biden is doing for foreign recipients.

There's been people that have been, you know, living in the U.S., but no sort of permanent status for like the last 30, 40 or maybe even last 50 years, if anything.

So we're trying to see if we can get those protections put in place sooner rather than later.

He's doing this very delicate balancing act.

And the problem is he's not ever going to win this issue.

He's just trying to lower the temperature on it.

Earlier this month, President Biden put a daily cap on how many people can cross the border and claim asylum.

A plurality of Americans approves of this, according to the most recent Monmouth poll.

Even then, 46% of Americans think the order is not tough enough when it comes to dealing with illegal immigration.

Biden's approval rating sits at 38%, which isn't his lowest mark.

But it doesn't bode well for his chances at reelection.

We haven't seen a president who goes into the election under 40% approval when Donald Trump has successfully used immigration, as, you know, kind of this catch all for how the country is in chaos and how we are being, you know, culturally threatened.

There's also the fact that executive orders can be easily overturned by whoever sits in the Oval Office.

If President Trump wins, then, you know, chances of this program being revoked are very likely just from his rhetoric and from his stance on immigration.

You know, this is something that he would not support.

DACA recipients will be keeping a close eye on the next election as a possible path to citizenship could hang in the balance this November.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Ted Goldberg.