Biden Promises Big Changes in Immigration
It’s hard to believe that we are here. Today, President Joseph R. Biden has become our 46th president and a new chapter opens for immigration policy in our country. Biden’s inauguration marks a turning point and an important shift from the last four years of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. Keeping to his promise, Biden is expected to announce 17 executive actions, six of which focus on immigration, on his first day in office. They include:
Extending protections for those eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to four years, which would safeguard work permits and protection from deportation for over one million undocumented youth across the nation, including 2,000 immigrants here in New Mexico.
Ensuring that everyone, regardless of immigration status, is counted in the U.S. Census.
Rescind Trump’s 2017 executive orders that made all undocumented immigrants a priority in enforcement.
Ending the Muslim Ban, which restricted travel and immigration from Muslim-majority countries including Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
Stopping border wall construction.
Keeping protections for Liberians under the “deferred enforcement departure” program.
Biden also published an outline of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, an immigration bill that includes providing citizenship to the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Even so, Biden has warned that some of these legislative changes may take time to get approved by Congress, given the 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath and the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump.
There are other executive actions that are expected that can have a huge impact in New Mexico, particularly as a border state. These include:
Phasing out asylum restrictions, like the Remain in Mexico program (formally called Migrant Protection Protocols), which requires asylum seekers to wait on the Mexican side of our southern border during their immigration proceedings.
Establishing a 100-day moratorium on deportations (though very few details have been released publicly).
Increasing the government’s capacity to review asylum applications and decrease the current backlog.
What does this mean for our work?
While we wait to see the impact of Biden’s policies in areas of our work like detention and asylum, our team has already begun to take action where opportunities allow for it. Since the DACA program’s reinstatement to its pre-2017 form last December, NMILC has received over 100 requests for initial DACA screenings and expect many more to come. Screenings are the initial step towards determining whether applicants are eligible to apply for the program and meet NMILC's requirements for pro bono service. All the while, our team has continued to assist eligible clients with DACA renewals, and residency and citizenship applications.
How can you help?
Please consider joining our amazing volunteer team! We expect many of our community members to reach out to us about applying for DACA for the first time and we need your support in ensuring that we continue to help all eligible candidates who qualify for our services. From pro bono legal assistance to non-attorney opportunities, NMILC offers a wide range of opportunities for volunteers to participate in supporting our DACA work, and advancing equity and justice in our immigrant communities. If you are interested in volunteering your time and expertise, please fill out and submit one of the corresponding applications.
Give today to support our DACA work!
Every contribution makes a huge impact on our work. Your financial support will help us to continue to respond to the changing needs of the low-income immigrant community in our state—from welcoming asylum seekers to fighting for the rights of detained immigrants. Please consider giving today, so that together we can hold Biden accountable for the necessary immigration reform our communities so desperately need and deserve.
