US President-elect, Joe Biden
plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration,
hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million
people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal from the
Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies.
The legislation puts Biden on
track to deliver on a major campaign promise important to Latino voters and
other immigrant communities after four years of President Donald Trump’s
restrictive policies and mass deportations. It provides one of the fastest
pathways to citizenship for those living without legal status of any measure in
recent years, but it fails to include the traditional trade-off of enhanced
border security favored by many Republicans, making passage in a narrowly
divided Congress in doubt.
Expected to run hundreds of
pages, the bill is set to be introduced after Biden takes the oath of office
Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the legislation and granted
anonymity to discuss it.
As a candidate, Biden called
Trump’s actions on immigration an “unrelenting assault” on American values and
said he would “undo the damage” while continuing to maintain border
enforcement.
Under the legislation, those
living in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, 2021, without legal status would have a
five-year path to temporary legal status, or a green card, if they pass
background checks, pay taxes and fulfill other basic requirements. From there,
it’s a three-year path to naturalization, if they decide to pursue citizenship.
For some immigrants, the process
would be quicker. So-called Dreamers, the young people who arrived in the U.S.
illegally as children, as well as agricultural workers and people under
temporary protective status could qualify more immediately for green cards if
they are working, are in school or meet other requirements.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com