Bilingual Hotline To Help With New Parole in Place Program

Undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens can now access a free bilingual hotline to learn about a new federal program that allows them to apply for legal residency. The Texas Immigration Law Council offers the hotline in English and Spanish at (956) 815-2827, available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CDT through August 26.

Starting August 19, applications for the Parole in Place program will be accepted, allowing eligible spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to obtain work authorization, permanent residency, and eventually, citizenship without leaving the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security announced this new pathway on June 18, and up to 500,000 noncitizen spouses and 50,000 noncitizen children could qualify.

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

WHO: Texas Immigration Law Council (TxILC)
WHAT: TxILC Parole in Place Hotline: 956-815-2827 – Free, Bilingual (English/Spanish)
WHEN: August 12 through August 26, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Central Time)

Texas Immigration Law Council: Parole in Place Program website: www.piptexas.org

The Texas Immigration Law Council is a statewide nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization formed in 2023 to promote and protect the rights of immigrants and refugees of all nationalities in Texas. The Council promotes meaningful access to justice for immigrants and refugees by serving as a statewide immigrant legal resource center. The Council brings together constituencies across the political spectrum to advance constructive dialogue on immigrant solutions for Texas.

For more information, visit www.piptexas.org.