The administration of Biden and Hill Democrats is expected to unveil an immigration reform bill later this week, several sources familiar with the planning told NBC News.
The legal text of the “US Citizenship Act of 2021” will reflect the immigration priorities that President Joe Biden unveiled on his first day in office. His proposal includes a deserving path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, expands the refugee resettlement program and uses more technology to the southern border. There is additional protection being considered in the legislation, such as the processing of asylum in underage home countries, extensive benefits for DREAMers and the termination of the rule for public charges.
While previous attempts at massive immigration reform under both the Republican and Democratic governments have failed, the White House of Biden has shown support for breaking the law.
As a possible secondary route, lawmakers will immediately work on the bill that legalizes farm workers and dreamers, and then move toward a more comprehensive overhaul. The main objective, according to officials and advocates, is to make progress.
“If certain parts of the bill become building blocks, that’s fine,” said Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center.
Some parts of Biden’s immigration reform already have vehicles to move through the House and Senate separately – and faster.
Senator Robert Menendez, the Democrat in New Jersey, is leading the legislative push in the Senate.
‘This plan is not just about fixing our broken immigration system, but about building a better one that reunites families, brings the undocumented community out of the shadows and stands up for human rights on a path to citizenship , addressing the causes of migration includes a smart border security strategy, ‘he said in a statement.
Rep. Linda T. Sánchez – the California Democrat who is leading the legislative effort in the House – said many people rely on reform.
“From our dreamers to service workers and farmers dragging us through this pandemic, there are too many who rely on this reform to fail,” she said in a statement. ‘I look forward to working with President Biden as well as my Housemates to finally make our immigration system more functional, equitable and humane. ”
Biden’s has already signed a series of executive actions targeting immigration and reversing Trump’s efforts.
