Spain to Grant Legal Status to Unauthorized Immigrants Amidst Global Debate on Immigration Policies
Spain's government announced Tuesday it would grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without authorization, according to the Associated Press. The move positions Spain in contrast to increasingly harsh immigration policies in the United States and much of Europe.
The announcement comes as the United States grapples with its own immigration challenges, including a potential partial government shutdown driven by political divisions over immigration enforcement and the funding of the Department of Homeland Security, Time reported. With funding for a large share of the federal government set to expire after midnight on Friday, Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over a sprawling six-bill appropriations package that the House sent to the Senate, which includes money for Homeland Security.
In the aftermath of recent shootings in Minneapolis involving federal immigration agents, Democrats are demanding changes to that portion of the bill, signaling they are prepared to let funding lapse if those demands are ignored, according to Time. The shootings have also brought increased scrutiny to figures like Gregory Bovino, the commander-at-large of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who has served as a public face of immigration enforcement, Time noted. Bovino has been overseeing thousands of detentions and deportations in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis.
While the specific details of Spain's plan were not immediately available, the announcement signals a significant shift in immigration policy within Europe.
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