President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he will offer legal status, as well as a path to residency and citizenship, to half a million illegal immigrants married to Americans.

Individuals must have resided in the United States for at least ten years and be married to an American citizen “while satisfying all applicable legal requirements” in order to be eligible for the program, according to a fact sheet released by the White House. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security will examine each application on a case-by-case basis.

Those who are approved for the program “will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency” and can receive work authorization “for up to three years.”

The announcement comes as voters become wary of elevated illegal immigration under President Joe Biden, with a majority of the public supporting mass deportations for those who entered the country illegally. The fact sheet claimed that Biden has “taken action to secure the border” and accused Republicans of placing “partisan politics ahead of national security.”

“President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country,” the document remarked. “There is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families.”

The new policy also assists recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, such that recipients who have earned degrees at accredited postsecondary programs and who have received employment offers can “more quickly receive work visas.”

Biden also extended Affordable Care Act coverage to recipients of DACA last month, marking another controversial executive action which was criticized by Republicans in Congress.