We expect to see rapid movement on immigration issues during the first 100 days of President Biden’s administration. On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, Biden issued orders for temporary changes to the enforcement of the immigration law while a full review is underway:
1. Review current immigration enforcement policies.
2. Focus on removing 4 groups of individuals.
3. Immediately Pause Physical Removal for 100 days.
In addition, on January 20 the Biden administration ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and has indicated he will send the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 to Congress.
According to the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA), President Biden has made bold immigration reform:
As this first week with a new president comes to a close, there is much for our community to be excited about. On his first day, President Biden proposed bold new legislation and changes to our immigration system and reversed some of the most devastating policies of the last four years. A new era has begun, and our collective voice is already getting heard and translated into action.
The following immigration actions were also taken by the Biden administration during the first 36 hours:
• the Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program Final Rule sent to the Federal Register on January 15, but not yet published, will be withdrawn
• the H-1B Wage Selection Final Rule which has been published but not yet gone into effect has been postponed until March 21, 2021
• reversed the Trump administration’s policy to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the 2020 Census count, which was intended to influence congressional districts
• ended the so-called Muslim ban on travel into the United States
• ordered an immediate halt to the construction of the border wall along the U.S. / Mexican border and called for a funding investigation
• protected Liberians from immigration enforcement and extended work authorizations for Liberians through June 30, 2022
• announced his intention to send to Congress a bill that will:
• provide an 8-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants
• eliminate the 3 and 10-year ban on Green Card applicants who left the country without authorization
• reduce Green Card backlogs
• do away with per-country caps on visas
• provide a faster path to a Green Card for children and spouses of permanent residents
• prevent children of H-1B visa holders from “aging out” and being forced to leave the United States
Do You Need Help With An Immigration Issue? Contact a DuPage Immigration Lawyer for Help
If you have questions about your immigration status, we can schedule an evaluation or attorney consultation to answer your immigration questions. Contact Godoy Law Office at 630-912-0322, our skilled immigration lawyers in Chicago, Lombard and Oak Brook can answer any questions about immigration and guide you through every step of the process.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
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