Joe Biden will propose new immigration laws on his first day as President, including an eight-year pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
The incoming Administration will also set out an enforcement plan deploying technology to patrol the border, in the proposal sent to Congress to Wednesday. There will be an emphasis on addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, including economic deprivation and gang violence.
The eight-year path to citizenship gives immigrants a temporary status for five years and then a green card when pass a background check and pay taxes. Those applying must have been in the US as of January 1.
About 800,000 “Dreamers”, who came to the US as children of undocumented immigrant parents, may apply immediately for a green card.
The Dreamers have been protected under a 2012 order by Barack Obama, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, but the Trump Administration had threatened them with deportation.
Immigrants under the temporary protected status program for those from disaster-struck nations may also apply now for the green card.
Reuniting Families
Over the weekend, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain circulated a memorandum confirming that, in his first days in office, Biden will reverse the anti-immigrant Trump measures and try to mitigate the damage. Agencies will be mandated to reunite children separated from undocumented parents in 2018 and taken hundreds and even thousands of miles away.
About 3,000 juveniles, some only babies, were seized. As of October 2020, the deported parents of 545 children had still not been located.
Coming Soon: Biden’s Executive Orders to Repair Trump’s Damage
The Biden proposals are the most substantial on immigration since the Senate passed legislation in 2013, only for the Republican-controlled House to block the bill the following year.
The Administration hopes to reinstate a program, terminated by Donald Trump’s officials in August 2017, granting minors from Central America temporary legal residence. A reunification program for Central American relatives of US citizens will be established, allowing those who have been already approved for US residency to be admitted into the country, rather than waiting at home for an opening.
A reunification program for Cubans and Haitians was ended by the Trump Administration.
The Biden plan grants work permits for spouses and children of temporary worker visa holders. The number of available H-1B visas for high-skilled foreign workers and H2-B visas for lower-skilled non-agriculture workers will not be expanded; however, doctoral graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will be exempted from visa limits.
