WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a massive immigration bill on the first day of his administration, hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal of the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies.
The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver on a major campaign promise important to Latino voters and other immigrant communities after four years of President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies and mass deportations. It offers one of the fastest paths to citizenship for those who have lived in recent years without legal status of any measure, but it does not take into account the traditional trade-off of enhanced border security favored by many Republicans, forcing passage in a closely divided Congress is questionable. .
The bill is expected to contain hundreds of pages and will be filed after Biden took the oath of office on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the law and granted anonymity to discuss it.
As a candidate, Biden called Trump’s actions against immigration a “relentless assault” on US values and said he would “undo the damage” while continuing to enforce border control.
Under the legislation, those residing in the US from January 1, 2021, without legal status, would have a five-year path to temporary legal status, or a green card, if they pass background checks, pay taxes, and meet other basic requirements. From there, it’s a three-year path to naturalization, if they decide to pursue citizenship.
The process would be faster for some immigrants. So-called Dreamers, the youths who arrived in the US illegally as children, as well as agricultural workers and those with temporary protection status, could be more likely to qualify for green cards if they work, are in school, or meet other requirements.
The bill is not as comprehensive as the last major immigration overhaul proposed when Biden was vice president during the Obama administration.
For example, it does not contain a robust border security element, but rather calls for strategies to be devised. Nor does it create new migrant workers or other visa programs.
It addresses some of the root causes of migration from Central America to the United States and provides scholarships for workforce development and English learning.
Biden is expected to swiftly take executive action to reverse Trump’s other immigration actions, including an end to bans on arrivals from several predominantly Muslim countries.
During the Democratic primary, Biden consistently listed immigration action as one of his first-day priorities, noting the range of executive powers he could invoke to reverse Trump’s policies.
Biden allies and even some Republicans have identified immigration as a major issue where the new administration could reach an agreement with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and enough other GOP senators to avoid the deadlock that has left the administrations of both parties for decades. has tormented.
That kind of big win – even if it involves compromise – could be critical as Biden seeks legislative victories in a tightly divided Congress, where Republicans are sure to oppose other Biden priorities pertaining to rolling back some of the 2017 tax cuts from the GOP and increasing federal spending.
As a candidate, Biden went so far as to say the Obama administration was going too far in its aggressive deportations.
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Barrow reported from Wilmington, Del. Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.