Biden plans to Send a Legislative Package to Congress to address the Goal of Immigration Reform, including a Pathway to Citizenship for an estimated 11 Million Immigrants who are in the County without Legal Status.
The Bill would provide a Shorter Pathway to Citizenship for:
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) People from: Haiti, El Salvador, Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua and South Sudan.
- Beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) who were brought to the U.S. as Children.
- Certain Front-Line Essential Workers, vast numbers of whom are Immigrants.
In a significant Departure from many previous Immigration Bills passed under both Democratic and Republican Administrations, the proposed Legislation would Not contain any Provisions directly linking an Expansion of Immigration with Stepped-Up Enforcement and Security Measures, said Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund, who has been Consulted on the Proposal by Biden Staffers.
Hincapié, who was Co-Chair of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on Immigration, part of Biden's Outreach to his Top Primary Rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and his Progressive Base, said that Biden’s Decision to Not Prioritize additional Enforcement Measures was probably a Result of lessons learned from the Obama Administration’s Failed attempt to appease Republicans by backing Tighter Immigration Enforcement in hopes of gaining their Support for Immigration Relief.
Biden's Proposal lays out what would be the most Sweeping and Comprehensive Immigration Package since President Reagan's Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which Granted Legal Status to 3 Million People who were in the Country without Documentation.
Under Biden's Plan, Immigrants would become Eligible for Legal Permanent Residence after Five years and for U.S. Citizenship after an Additional Three years, a Faster Path to Citizenship than in previous Immigration Bills.
But even with Democrats holding the White House and slender Majorities in both Chambers of Congress, the Bill will probably face Months of Political Wrangling on Capitol Hill and Pushback from Conservative Voters and Immigration Hard-Liners.
Several Immigration Activists Praised the Reported Scope and Scale of the Bill and expressed Surprise at its Ambition. A Number of Legislators and Analysts had Predicted that the New Administration, at least in its First Months in Power, would be likely to pursue Immigration Measures that would stir the Least Controversy and could be Achieved by Executive Actions rather than Legislation.
Hincapié said Biden’s Team would be able to Bypass Legislation to quickly make a Number of Administrative Changes. She expects him to announce several Executive Actions that would:
- Expand DACA
- Overturn Trump's 2017 Travel Ban Targeting Muslim-Majority Countries
- Rescind Trump’s Public Charge Rule, which Allowed Authorities to Deny Green Cards to Immigrants who use, or whose U.S. Citizen Children use, Food Stamps or other Public Benefits.
If the Broader Bill were to die or take Too Long to Pass, there are Alternate Venues for Democratic Leadership to Legalize a Substantial Group of People, specifically the Estimated 5 Million Essential Workers now in the Country without Legal Status.
As part of COVID Relief, Biden and Democratic Leadership could decide to Include Measures offering Legal Status to Essential Workers via a Process known as Budget Reconciliation, and that would only need 51 Votes to Pass the Senate.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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