Immigration Changes in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration
A transition to a new administration means significant changes for everyone, but few people are as impacted as much by a new president as immigrants and those who are aspiring to immigrate to the US. Immigration is a hotly debated topic in national politics, and for immigrants and their loved ones, a new president can mean increased risks or a relaxing of some laws and guidelines.
With President Biden enacting numerous immigration changes, it is important to know your rights and plan for your future. Set up a consultation now by calling Garmo Group at 619-441-2500.
End of the Travel Ban
President Joe Biden issued an executive order that officially ends the controversial travel ban on non-citizens from 13 countries including, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Belarus, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Eritrea, Burma, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Nigeria.
End of the National Emergency at the Border
Former President Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, allowing him to continue border wall construction without approval from Congress. President Biden has ended the state of emergency and, as a result, work on the border wall has paused.
Protections for Dreamers
In December 2020, a United States District Court ordered that USCIS resume accepting first time requests for consideration under DACA based on the terms of the original policy in effect prior to September 5, 2017. They will continue to accept renewal and advance parole requests as well as extend one-year grants of deferred action and work authorization to two years. President Biden has further issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to preserved and strengthen the program, consistent with applicable law, perhaps through legislative action (more on this later).
New Immigration Bill
A new immigration bill has been introduced in Congress and sponsored by Representative Linda Sanchez and Senator Robert Menendez. The bill is in its early stages, so the terms in it are likely to change throughout debate and negotiations. Currently, the bill contains the following provisions:
- The Bill reforms the family-based immigration system by clearing backlogs, recapturing unused visas, eliminating lengthy wait times, and increasing per-country visa caps, also allowing immigrants with approved family petitions to join family on temporary basis while they wait for the green cards to become available.
- A path to citizenship for undocumented individuals, including Dreamers, farm workers who qualify for green cards, TPS recipients, and others who qualify.
- It creates a new definition of spouse to include permanent partners. It also seeks to extend automatic citizenship to children with at least one U.S. parent, regardless of their biological relationship to that parent.
- It clears the employment-based immigrant visa backlog and alleviates lengthy wait times for individuals by eliminating employment-based per country limits.
- Strengthens protections for victims, such as the U visa, T visa, VAWA, and asylum applications.
- Programs to protect undocumented workers from exploitation.
- Plans to address causes of migration from Central America.
- Exempt students qualified to pursue a full course of study at a U.S. institution of higher education from demonstrating non-immigrant intent.
While there is a lot of work yet to be done, the first 100 days of a presidential administration can tell you a lot about their priorities and the tone you can expect for the rest of the term. If you are an immigrant wondering what this means for you, we can help.
Reach Out to Garmo Group for Help with Your Immigration Case
Understanding changes in immigration can be confusing, especially with the complexities of immigration reform. We can help you figure out how these changes may affect your case. To get started, call us at 619-441-2500 or contact us online.