Biden’s Immigration Reform Proposals
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/19/us/inauguration-day-biden
President Biden will propose immigration reforms opening up a path to legal residency and ultimately to citizenship to some of the 11 million undocumented persons already residing in the US. These are overwhelmingly young workers in low wage, essential worker positions in agriculture, food processing, home construction, restaurants, hotels and janitorial services, home cleaning and care for children.
He will propose a five-year path to legal permanent residency and an eight year path to citizenship. Individuals must pass a background check, pay taxes and have a clean criminal record.
The cut-off date for eligibility is 1/1/21 – i.e. you have to have been a resident living in the US as of that date.
Dreamers will be afforded the opportunity to begin the path to a green card once the legislation passes.
Protections for refugees and asylum seekers, which were curtailed by Trump, will be restored under the Biden proposal.
The proposal will use new technology to secure the border, as opposed to the Trump wall. It will offer increased foreign aid in Central America to ameliorate the conditions causing immigrants to flee North, seeking refuge.
The legislation will require 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House to pass.
The last major immigration reform bill to become law was developed and signed by the Reagan Administration in 1986.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 1/19/21