NEWS GLEAMS | New Legal Pathway for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens; KC Council Approves Crisis Care Centers

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

President Biden Announces Pathway to Legal Status for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens

Two weeks after President Joe Biden's controversial decision to temporarily halt the entry of asylum seekers at the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico, Biden announced a second executive action to grant legal status to select undocumented immigrants of U.S. spouses and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, who are also known as "Dreamers."

Specifics of the New Executive Action

In his June 18 announcement, framed as a "new action to keep families together," Biden stated that undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for permanent legal status if they have lived in the country for 10 years, and their children will also be eligible to apply. An estimated 500,000 individuals may be shielded under the policy, and according to the BBC, "On average, the White House believes that those eligible for the process have been in the US for 23 years. A majority will have been born in Mexico."

The most significant difference from previous application processes for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens is that they no longer need to leave the country to apply for legal status. The entire processing time will also be greatly expedited, with candidates receiving an interview within six months of being granted parole, as opposed to the previous processing time of five years.

Under the new policy, undocumented spouses and DACA recipients may also apply for work visas or expedited work visas, which have the possibility of eventually turning into permanent residencies. DACA was a policy announced by former President Barack Obama in 2012, and it continues to enable undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. prior to their 16th birthday temporary status that allows them to work and live in the country. DACA is valid for two-year terms that must be renewed when they expire, but it is currently not taking new applications because of legal challenges.

Many requirements of the second executive action remain unclear and must still be released. Some immigration lawyers recommend that potential applicants assess their eligibility, organize all of their legal documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, and then apply as soon as possible, in case of potential legal challenges or changes in administration. Applications are estimated to open at the end of the summer.

Two Policies That Each Face Criticism and Praise From Multiple Angles

"I refuse to believe that to secure our border we have to walk away from being an America for that's — generations have been renewed, revitalized, and refreshed by the talent, the skill, the hard work, the courage, and determination of … immigrants coming to our country," Biden said on the June 18 policy. "But I also refuse to believe that for us to continue to be America that embraces immigration, we have to give up securing our border. They're false choices."

Biden's two executive actions sit on different ends of the immigration spectrum, and both have been criticized and praised by immigration groups, anti-immigration groups, and members of all political parties. The latest has been criticized by some as a publicity move during a highly contested election year. Notably, some high-profile immigration groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have celebrated the effort to "keep families together," while simultaneously challenging the measure to shut down the border.

The first policy, announced on June 4, remains in place to temporarily restrict the border whenever the number of non-legal migrants reaches an average of 2,500 a day and temporarily block asylum claims, with certain rare exceptions. The border will only reopen again once that average number falls to 1,500 per day.

King County Council Unanimously Approves Creation of Crisis Care Centers

In 2023, with a 56.7% vote, King County voters passed a Crisis Care Centers Levy, which aimed to fund the construction of five 24/7 walk-in crisis care centers, including one that provides services for youth. The levy proposed to "invest in urgent care needs to transform an aging system and restore a path to recovery. The proposal responds to continued closures, reduced capacity, and significant gaps of behavioral health resources."

On June 18, the King County Council unanimously approved Executive Dow Constantine's plan to build the crisis care centers through an investment of $1 billion over the next nine years. An estimated 70,000 people may be served annually through the program.

"We're facing a behavioral health crisis and there is an urgent, growing need for care. That's why at King County, we're building a behavioral health system that is connected, accessible, and culturally responsive — providing the help people need and deserve," said Constantine via a press release. "In partnership with councilmembers, cities, providers, workers, and community members, we're putting this plan in action to open the first crisis care center as soon as possible."

The Crisis Care Centers Levy collects 14.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value from King County property owners. That amount results in an estimated $121 a year of taxes collected based on the median home value of King County, which is $694,000. According to previous reporting by the Emerald, tax collection began in 2024, and the County plans to receive proposals for two crisis care centers in 2025, with the first to open in 2026.

Prior to the passage of this levy, King County has not had a walk-in behavioral urgent health care clinic. Prior to the creation of the crisis care centers, $57 million in early investments will be implemented, including the creation of 24/7 mobile crisis care response teams, funding for three residential treatment facilities, expansion of crisis counselors in 911 call centers, and a number of actions designed to stop opioid overdose deaths.

Seattle Central Library Art Show Celebrates 50 Years of 'Seattle Gay News'

A new exhibit titled "Seattle Gay News Celebrates 50 Years!" opens today at the Central Library in downtown Seattle, to celebrate one of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ newspapers in the world. The exhibit documents the history of Seattle Gay News (SGN) since its founding in 1974 and features headlines, page displays, cutouts, and a digital preservation of the SGN archives.

"This exhibit of SGN history truly captures why we have become an institution in the LGBTQ+ community," incoming SGN editor Renee Raketty, who will lead SGN starting on June 1, said in a press release. "Through the dedication and leadership of many staffers over the last five decades, the SGN not only reported on the trajectory of the LGBTQ+ experience here in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest but was also central to the organizing, events, and messaging that contributed to its historic progress. The SGN continues to perform this vital task and intends to do so for another 50 years."

The exhibit was originally displayed at the University of Washington's Allen Library in March 2024. It covers topics important to the LGBTQIA+ community, including arts, culture, health, politics, memorials, and obituaries, often representing issues important to the community, such as coverage of the AIDS crisis, the fight for marriage equality, or other civil rights issues overlooked by other media.

A significant portion of the exhibit will be centered around the preservation and digitization of SGN archives, which has been through a collaboration of past and present staff members, editors, and publishers, as well as a number of local institutions that have worked over months to source and preserve complete print runs of the newspaper. Some of the digitized papers can be viewed online, due to the labor of current SGN Publisher Mike Schultz.

The "Seattle Gay News Celebrates 50 Years!" exhibit is free, open to the public, and can be found in the library's Level 8 Gallery from Monday, June 24, through Sunday, Aug. 25. Its opening will be celebrated with a reception on Thursday, June 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a short program featuring speakers such as Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and representatives from SGN, The Seattle Public Library, and UW Libraries.

📸 Featured Image: President Joe Biden issued a sweeping executive order that will temporarily block most asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border on June 4, 2024. Photo via Andrew Leyden/Shutterstock.com.

The South Seattle Emerald™ website contains information and content supplied by third parties and community members. Information contained herein regarding any specific person, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the South Seattle Emerald™, its directors, editors, or staff members.