Local groups react to potential Biden Administration immigration actions

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Many national advocates and experts met Monday to discuss potential immigration actions the Biden Administration could announce soon.

During the meeting, the group discussed and stressed the importance of keeping families together.

“The announcement we expect tomorrow is rightly focused on keeping families united and providing some measure of relief to deeply rooted immigrants in our community,” said America's Voice Executive Director Vanessa Cardenas.

The group would also like to see the Biden Administration adjust the current laws tied to marriage and U.S. citizenship.

Currently, in certain scenarios, someone from another country marrying a U.S. citizen must leave the country and wait for approval.

The advocates support a change where these newly weds wouldn't have to leave the country but not everyone agrees, including local lawmaker Time Dunn.

“The problem is you have people that are coming over here first off and they get here ahead of time and then they want to go back and get their family unit so they came here illegally and then they want to go back and try to bring in four other people I’m against that," said Arizona District 25 Representative Time Dunn.

One advocate in the group says these potential changes are expected to generate over $16-billion in economic activity each year.

"[It would] directly improve the lives of more than 10.6 million US citizens who live with an undocumented family member,” said Rebecca Shi, the Executive Director of the American Business Coalition.

Potential developments and changes to immigration laws are expected be announced Tuesday morning.