President Joe Biden will create the pathway for citizenship. On Biden’s first day in office Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, this pathway to citizenship is for approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Biden’s reform for citizenship is viewed as extensive by many legislators, and some see many illegal immigrants gaining access. The only other president with a similar extensive plan to reform the pathway to citizenship was President Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
It is important to know and remember when President Barack Obama tried to pass immigration reform, it was blocked by Republicans and the Supreme Court. The road ahead with Congress will not be easy for the president to pass the bill. He may have to resort to an Executive Order.
Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, stated immigrants would be put on an eight-year citizenship pathway.
Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff, stated the president would send an immigration bill to Congress “on his first day in office.” He did not elaborate, and Biden’s office declined to comment on specifics.
Due to Trump’s Impeachment trial in the Senate, Biden has advised his staff that the bill may not affect his first 100 days in office. Domingo Garcia, former president of the League of Latin American Citizens, stated she was pleasantly surprised that Biden has prioritized this issue.
Many things are up for change under our president and vice president’s leadership — it is with great hope that unity will be restored in the United States.
The separation of over five thousand illegal immigrant children from their families started in 2018 under Trump’s leadership.
Biden is coming in restoring hope and humanity, which will bring peace to many. The children will hopefully soon be reunited with their parents.
It is impossible to have an accurate count of illegal immigrants. Pew Research Center estimated close to 11 million people in the country illegally in 2017, down from an all-time high of over 12 million in 2007.
Homeland Security Department suggests there were over 12 million illegal immigrants in 2015, nearly 80 percent of them for more than 10 years. More than half are from Latin American Countries.
By Teleza Rodgers
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
AP NEWS: Biden to prioritize legal status for millions of immigrants; by Elliott Spagat
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Inset Image Courtesy of beemergirl’s 99 Flickr Page Creative – Commons License
