An executive order issued by President Joe Biden this week could shield thousands of Bridgeport residents from deportation, according to a local immigration attorney.

The order, which was designed to keep families together, aims to protect undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from being deported.

To be eligible, applicants must have been married to a U.S. citizen by June 17 and have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years.

"This executive action will impact people who have already proven to the United States they deserve the break," said Alex Meyerovich, a Bridgeport immigration attorney. "They're law-abiding, they're taxpayers. For better or worse, they left their countries, but they worked hard to prove they deserve this break."

The White House estimates the order could protect as many as 500,000 immigrants and 50,000 children living in the United States from deportation.

However, opponents of the measure warn that it will only incentivize more illegal immigration.