The Election, Modern Love, and I-130 Marriage
I am part of the loneliness epidemic, a hunger for togetherness, for cuddling, for mutual goal support, and mutual payment of mutual bills. A hunger for the romantic fantasy. At the same time, I have an insatiable need for independence and know that someday I’ll meet someone and talk about separate bank accounts, separate bills to avoid credit score catastrophes, and maybe even separate houses.
Every day, US Citizenship and Immigration Services officers confront couples balancing these seemingly oppositional desires. Trying to discover “what is true” is why processing of marriage I-130 petitions is delayed. Do they have separate accounts because it’s not a real marriage or because they care deeply about their credit scores?
Because the outcome of the November presidential election WILL affect whether a mixed status couple (one a foreigner, the other a U.S. citizen) can stay together, let’s review what might happen starting in January 2025 depending on who wins.
What Will Happen to Spouse I-130 Green Cards if Harris Wins?
At the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris made it clear that she wants to both secure the border but also find a pathway to citizenship. Illegal immigration in July 2024 (as confirmed by the number of border arrests) was lower than when Donald Trump was president. If Harris wins, her goal is to expand green cards through marriage by protecting foreigners who have lived in this country a long time from deportation. The Democratic Party platform also wants to increase legal immigration over then next five years.
What Will Happen to Spouse I-130 Green Cards if Trump Wins?
The Republican Party platform says absolutely nothing about how spouses of U.S. citizens can legally get green cards if they have been in this country for decades, have no criminal background, and have U.S. citizen children. Quite the opposite. One of the only mentions that the Republicans make in their platform uses the code words “end chain migration.” What does that mean? It means that if Donald Trump is elected president, his goal is to stop green cards based on family categories. No spouses of U.S. citizens, no parents of U.S. citizens.
After more than 20 years helping immigration clients anticipate changes in laws and enforcement practices, we are ready to help your family. Call 954.385.0157 or click “For Future Clients” today to schedule our talk about applying for Biden Parole in Place 2024.
Disclaimer – These entries are based on real life events. Family member names, when used, are real. Client names are changed for privacy.
