On Immigration, Biden Attempts to Replicate a Powerful Obama Moment

In the summer before a tough re-election contest in 2012, President Barack Obama was losing support from Latino voters who called him “deporter in chief.” Then he signed a sweeping executive order to shield hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Luis V. Gutiérrez, an Illinois Democrat and former congressman, recalled that in his district in the Chicago area, some Latinos celebrated the moment in the streets. “Everywhere I went, here’s what people said — ‘Now we’ll vote for him,’” he said. “I swear to God. That is how important that was for him politically.”

Twelve years later, President Biden appears to be trying to replicate that move.

Mr. Biden on Tuesday drew cheers and several standing ovations from a room of about 200 people, including congressional Democrats and immigrant-rights leaders from across the country, as he unveiled an order expanding legal protections for undocumented spouses of American citizens. He evoked Mr. Obama’s powerful moment by announcing it at an event commemorating the anniversary of that 2012 executive action for young immigrants.

News of Mr. Biden’s expected announcement had already drawn widespread praise from Latino and immigrant rights advocates, including from some former critics who had just weeks ago denounced him as “Border Shutdown” Biden.

“This is the Biden administration listening to young people, to voters of color who have been demanding a pro-immigrant message on immigration,” said Bruna Bouhid-Sollod, senior political director of the immigrant rights group United We Dream Action. “For those of us who are directly impacted, this has always been about keeping families together.”

But underneath the celebration lies considerable uncertainty. It remains unclear what this decision will mean for Mr. Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign and whether he will be able to reset the narrative on an issue that has so far been dominated by his Republican rival, Donald J. Trump.