January 17th – President-elect Biden’s team said that on the first day of office, it will plan to promote large-scale immigration reform, including providing access to legal status for up to 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
According to the Associated Press on the 16th, the incoming Biden White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said on the 16th that Biden will send an immigration bill to Congress “on his first day in office” to “restore the humanization of our immigration system”.
Under the Biden team’s plan, eligible undocumented immigrants will be eligible for legal permanent residence after five years and apply for citizenship after obtaining residence for three years; this period will be shorter than previous immigration laws, which will help undocumented immigrants obtain citizenship faster.
At the same time, there will be faster access to legal status for immigrants in the Deferred Repatriation of Children Program (DACA), and other people under Temporary Protection Status (TPS).
Vice President-elect Harris said on the 12th that DACA and TPS people will “automatically obtain green cards”, while others will obtain citizenship in eight years.
In addition, some members of Congress are also working to promote the reform of the immigration bill. Rep. Joaquin Castro said on the 15th that he was pushing for a bill to seek immediate protection from deportation and provide undocumented basic workers with a way to quickly obtain citizenship.
“If your labor can nourish, build and protect our country, you will be given the right to stay here and be fully protected by law without fear of deportation,” Castro said.
