Predictions for President-Elect Biden's Top Immigration Priorities & other Immigration News for January 8, 2021
Predictions on President-Elect Biden's Top Immigration Priorities
1. Saving Dreamers
The Supreme Court reinstated DACA. The Biden Administration plans on providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, but that requires legislative action. Now, since there is a mini blue wave in the U.S. government, legislation on behalf of Dreamers has a chance of getting passed.
2. Reforming Enforcement
Currently, immigration courts have a backlog of more than 1.2 million cases. The pandemic has only added to that number. Non-detained cases in New York City have not been heard since March 2020. President-Elect Biden is likely to put a pause on mass deportations. He called the Obama administration’s mass deportations a “big mistake.”
3. Reversing Many of Trumps Executive Orders
Trump administration has issued more than 400 executive actions on immigration, including everything from border and interior enforcement, to refugee resettlement and the asylum system, the Muslim ban, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the immigration courts, business immigration, COVID-19, the public charge rule, health insurance, and visa processes. President-Elect Biden said he would reverse many of those changes within his first 100 days in office, but experts said it could take much longer to see the results of those changes.
4. Removing the Border Wall with Mexico
President-Elect Biden has stated that he will halt any future construction and end Trump policies that saw military personnel and funding diverted into border construction projects. According to Pentagon estimates, that could save the U.S. government $2.6 billion. Biden also plans to create a federal task force to ensure parents and children who were separated at the border are reunited.
President Trump Extends Exclusion of Foreign Workers in Response to COVID-19 for 3 Months Despite His Term Ending
On December 31, 2020, Trump extended the suspension of new nonimmigrant visas for foreign workers as his measure to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic claiming foreign workers are taking jobs from U.S. citizens. The exclusions include H-1B specialty occupations, H-2B temporary nonagricultural workers, J-1 exchange visitors, and L-1 intracompany transferees, along with any accompanying relatives. President-Elect Biden is likely able to reverse this once he takes office.
Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Processing Status Updates
Click on any country below to see the most recent information relating to immigrant and non-immigrant Visa Processing Status from the United States Embassy/ U.S. Consulate General:
This newsletter is a general information regarding recent changes in immigration law. Every matter is different. If you believe a recent change applies to you, please contact my office. If you know someone who it applies to, please refer them to my office. Thank you.
