FEATURE ARTICLESIMMIGRATION

President Biden’s – immigration reform plan

By: Ally Bolour, Esq. – Bolour/Carl Immigration Group

At this writing, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are being sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States. Among the many plans they have to take our country forward is a series of Executive Actions as well as proposed legislation to reform our badly broken immigration laws.

Getting rid of the Muslim ban, the public charge rule, and draconian asylum regulations are some of the highlights of President Biden’s plan. The comprehensive immigration reform bill (CIR) however is the main course.

In its original form, the CIR bill covers the following:

1. Path to Citizenship – available to folks here in the U.S. as of January 1, 2021. They would get a 5-year temporary status, then be eligible to apply for a green card, and 3 years later, be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship;

2. Invest in smart technology as opposed to a wall for border security. Also provide economic aid to the Northern Triangle countries in order to stem the flow of refugees;

3. Clear the severe backlogs at USCIS, immigration courts, and US Consulates.

4. Increase the availability of immigrant visas by eliminating the per country caps, and not counting derivatives towards the annual visa caps set by Congress.

5. Reviewing the Remain in Mexico protocals (MPP) according to CDC guidelines re Covid19.

6. Creating a commission with business leaders on how to replace the antiquated I-9 and E-Verify systems.

To pass such an ambitious bill, Democrats will need Republican allies. The Senate is evenly divided with VP Harris acting as a tie breaker. If all the Democrats vote in favor of this bill, we would still need 10 Republicans to join in. It is not an impossible task and certainly doable. However, we all need to put in the effort needed to get it done.

Please contact your congressional representatives and demand that they support the CIR. Over 11 million undocumented people have been living in the U.S. as our friends, families, neighbors, doctors, nurses, janitors, teachers, and kids for years. It is high time that they be recognized and be provided with a path to full citizenship.

If you have questions on how to get ready for legalization – please check us out on
www.americanvisas.net , give us a call at 323-857-0034 or send an email to info@americanvisas.net. Looking forward to getting this done.