Biden Introduces Immigration Plan
During the Trump administration, immigration policies and practices dominated headlines. How does the Biden administration plan to address U.S. immigration policy? Here, Election Central takes a closer look at President Biden’s proposals thus far.
A Path to Citizenship
On Day 1 of his term, President Biden announced a new immigration plan. Now, congressional Democrats have released a bill that very closely aligns with that plan. It’s called the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, and it provides a “fast track” to citizenship for roughly 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. This includes undocumented farm workers, refugees, and “Dreamers” (those who were brought to this country by their parents when they were still small children).
If the bill passes Congress, how will this new path to citizenship work? Undocumented individuals will need to apply for temporary legal status. This temporary status lasts for five years. During that time, if they pass criminal background checks and pay their taxes, they will be able to apply for a green card. Then, after three additional years and more background checks, they can apply to become U.S. citizens.
What Else Does the Bill Do?
The word alien is used in current US immigration laws and is seen by many to be an outdated term. The new bill refers to undocumented workers as “noncitizens” instead of “aliens.”
The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 also prioritizes keeping families together by making reunification easier. Previously, it was not uncommon for immigrants to wait years for their families to join them in the United States. But the new bill addresses that by eliminating several barriers, such as long wait times and caps on the number of visas by country. It also broadens the definition of family by including same-sex partnerships.
Many lawmakers who are against immigration reform argue that allowing undocumented residents to become U.S. citizens would be bad for the economy. But the Democrats supporting this bill say the opposite is true. The new bill will help to stimulate the economy in many ways. It provides incentives for higher pay for immigrants to reduce unfair competition with American workers for jobs.
The bill also provides funding for advanced technology to be used at the border, such as high-tech scanners to identify narcotics. It will also provide funding to strengthen and improve the border patrol’s ability to identify illegal activity. The creation of a Border Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee will provide Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents with the tools they need to do their job safely, effectively, and humanely.
What Do You Think? Do you support the passage of U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021? Why or not? As always, please remember to be respectful of other viewpoints and experiences when you answer.
