Immigration Justice, New Administration, New Bills
With President Biden proposing a bold immigration bill that includes pathways to citizenship, the Immigration Action Team is focusing on the House and Senate committees considering the legislation.
The Administration’s proposal includes – among other things – citizenship pathways for all 11 million immigrants here without full legal status. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) will sponsor the US Citizenship Act of 2021 in the Senate and Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) will do so in the House.
Many advocacy groups (including UUSC) and some Members of Congress want to move the legalization process for the 5 million of the 11 million immigrants considered “essential workers,” to a COVID relief bill considered more likely for early passage. Essential workers would include DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) holders.
The American Business Immigration Coalition (www.abic.us) favors the broader bill, highlighting the economic contributions of immigrant workers. The Immigration Action Team is identifying various legislative options for advocacy action alerts in the upcoming weeks. The slim Senate majority of supporters for any immigration action may require parliamentary creativity.
Meanwhile, UUSJ has signed on to several letters dealing with other immigration issues endorsed by the Immigration Team. These include ending deportation and offering TPS or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status to Cameroonians, who have been targeted by ICE for poor treatment and deportation.
Liberians have used DED status to legally stay in the US since 2007, along with extensions and provisions for green card status. However, COVID-related delays slowed that legalization process. President Biden took action to expedite processing and extend the status, which had ended January 10 for Liberians. The Immigration Team wants similar action for Cameroonians.
The Team is also monitoring the asylum process at the US Southern border, where many asylum-seekers were forced back to Mexico or Central America. The Department of Homeland Security says it will no longer apply the “Remain in Mexico” policy (known as the Migrant Protection Protocol) to new asylum seekers. Still, thousands remain in dire conditions on the Mexican side of the border. More and better-trained border staff is needed to speed up the processing of waiting families, without welcoming large new caravans.
Interested in learning more? Contact Convenor, Charlotte Jones-Carroll.