Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. President-elect Joe Biden pledged to reverse most of Trump’s border policies after he takes office. It’s important to note that because most of these actions were put in place by Executive or Court Order, it will take some time for the Biden administration to reverse immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump Administration.
In The Biden Commitment to a Fair and Humane Immigration System, Biden laid out his administration’s immigration plan, focusing on his first 100 days in office. Here are the top ten pledges in Biden’s immigration plan that the new administration is expected to put into practice after the inauguration.
1. Restore DACA
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was initiated in 2012 by the Obama/Biden administration to protect young people brought to the United States as children to shield them from deportation and let them attend school and get work permits. Biden promised to “remove the uncertainty for Dreamers by reinstating the DACA program, and he will explore all legal options to protect their families from inhumane separation. Biden will also ensure Dreamers are eligible for federal student aid (loans, Pell grants)”
2. Stop Building the Wall
Biden has pledged to end the “National Emergency” that allowed the Department of Defense to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. Biden pledged to invest in “improving screening infrastructure at our ports of entry” to keep America safer.
3. Reverse the Public Charge Rule
Biden promised to end the policy of evaluating an immigration application based on the applicant’s income or need of government services, saying it “undermines America’s character as land of opportunity that is open and welcoming to all, not just the wealthy.”
4. Reverse Limits on Temporary Workers
In 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to limit legal immigration and restrict or stop issuing temporary work visas, such as H-1B visas. The criteria for “specialty occupations” was tightened, and foreign worker wages were increased. Employers of foreign workers were given increased costs and administrative challenges to
5. Welcome International Students
Biden is expected to increase the number of foreign students welcomed to study in the United States, and allow them to study for a longer time period with an F-1 visa.
6. Freeze Deportations
Biden promised to end workplace raids, protect human rights and “increase resources for training and demand transparency in and independent oversight over ICE and CBP’s activities.”
7. Stop Separating Migrant Children and Parents
Biden pledged to “prioritize the reunification of any children still separated from their families,” and stop prosecuting parents for minor immigration violations.
8. End Travel Restrictions to 13 Countries
Biden promised to “rescind the un-American travel and refugee bans, also referred to as “Muslim bans.”
9. Protect Refugees
Allow 125,000 refugees to come to the United States and “restore our asylum laws so that they do what they should be designed to do–protect people fleeing persecution and who cannot return home safely.”
10. End For-Profit Immigration Centers
“We will end for-profit detention centers and ensure that any facility where migrants are being detained is held to the highest standards of care and guarantees the safety and dignity of families. Detention of children should be restricted to the shortest possible time, with their access to education and proper care ensured,” the document says, adding that immigration judges must operate “free of inappropriate political influence.”
The experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Chicago and Lombard offer assistance in family-based immigration matters to a range of people, including spouses, same-sex couples, fiancés, parents and children. We can also advise immigrants looking to secure status as permanent residents through the process of applying for a green card or citizenship. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office or call us at 855-554-6369.
