Biden signs executive orders reversing Trump's hardline immigration policies
US President Joe Biden signed three executive orders that he said would lead to a fair, orderly, and humane legal immigration system and also undo his predecessor Donald Trump's policies that ripped children from the arms of their families. The review of the existing policies and the subsequent recommendations are likely to benefit thousands of Indian professionals in realizing their United States' citizenship dream.
This is to make America stronger: Biden
"I'm not making new law, I'm eliminating the bad policy. This is about how America's safer, stronger, more prosperous when we have a fair, orderly, and humane legal immigration system," Biden said on Tuesday at the White House.
Full participation of the newest Americans should be embraced: Biden
Biden said the orders are aimed to strengthen the immigration system, building on the actions he took on day one to protect the Dreamers, and the Muslim ban, and to better manage the country's borders. "The federal government should develop welcoming strategies that promote integration, inclusion, and citizenship, and it should embrace the full participation of the newest Americans in our democracy," he said.
The previous policy was a national humiliation: Biden
"Today we are going to undo the moral and national shame of the previous administration that ripped children from the arms of their families and their parents at the border, and with no plans to reunify the ones who are still in custody," Biden said.
Trump's administration separated over 5,500 families
The first executive order was on creating a task force, chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, to reunify parents and children separated by the prior administration. To deter illegal immigration, Trump's administration had separated undocumented adults from children as they crossed the US-Mexico border. Over 5,500 families were separated and parents of more than 600 children still have not been located
Details about the other two executive orders
The second executive order develops a strategy to address root causes of migration and create a humane asylum system, including directing the Department of Homeland Security to take steps to end the Migrant Protection Protocols program, which has led to a humanitarian crisis in Northern Mexico. The third executive order promotes immigrant integration and inclusion and ensures legal immigration system operates fairly and efficiently.
Recent immigration policies, regulations to be reviewed by agencies
Agencies will review the public charge rule and related immigration policies. "The third order requires agencies to do a top-to-bottom review of recent regulations, policies, and guidance that have set up barriers to our legal immigration system," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Biden administration to scrap public charge rule
The first one to go would be Trump's public charge rule, which prevented immigrants from getting permanent residency status, or Green Card if they were likely to require public benefits such as housing subsidies. Biden said over four million foreign-born individuals live in the US and millions have immigrants in their ancestry. "New Americans fuel our economy, working in every industry, including healthcare," he said.
Immigrants are essential to keep the economy afloat: Biden
"They are essential workers helping to keep the economy afloat and providing services during a global pandemic. They have helped the US lead the world in science, technology, and innovation. and they are on frontlines of research to develop COVID-19 vaccines and treatments," Biden asserted.
New orders are extension of orders signed on day one
The executive order is in addition to the slew of similar orders signed by Biden on the first day of his administration and the citizenship bill that he has sent to Congress. The bill among other things proposes to eliminate the per-country quota in Green Card allocation. The Biden administration may also give work authorization to spouses of H-1B visa holders.
Global tech trade association welcomed Biden administration's decision
The global tech trade association, ITI, welcomed the Biden-Harris Administration's actions to reunite families that had been forcibly separated at the US border and to ensure an efficient legal immigration system. In keeping with his administration's efforts, the ITI also urged Biden to formally rescind the Trump Administration's presidential proclamation that currently prohibits certain high-skilled immigrants from obtaining visas due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fair and efficient immigration policies will drive economic growth: ITI
"To bolster the economic recovery in response to the pandemic, it is critical that President Biden rescind the current suspension of high-skilled immigration. We are committed to working with policymakers in the administration and US Congress to advance a modern, competitive immigration system," ITI said.
