After Four Years of Restrictive Immigration Policies, Will Biden Even Have a Chance to Push Reform?
At noon on January 20th, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the forty-sixth president of the United States. A remarkable achievement after decades of service to our nation as a Senator and Vice President. The oath of office is sacred to our democratic process, a transition of power from one president to the other shows our allies and enemies that democracy works. Thousands of bureaucratic officials will leave their posts and America will almost surely be steered in a different direction, especially considering the past four years of tumultuous reign. The questions that have dominated the immigration community over the past four years will remain, but to what extent? President-elect Joe Biden ran on one of the most progressive plans for immigrants, all of which could impact the lives of millions of undocumented immigrants. But undocumented immigrants have seen promises broken before, and are hoping the next four years will secure new paths while revoking discriminatory policies.
President Donald J. Trump ran his 2016 campaign based on the fears of millions of Americans, often lying to take advantage of a polarized base. Almost immediately after announcing his candidacy for president of the United States, Donald Trump berated the airwaves with anti-immigrant rhetoric ranging from calling Mexicans rapists and insisting on banning refugees solely based on their religion. A nation built on immigrants and that has historically welcomed immigrants for centuries was taken down a path of resentment towards a vital community that has propelled relentless economic growth and has helped build one of the most diverse nations in the world. America is unlike any country in the world. We must cherish our liberties and continue to fight for the most vulnerable in our nation. As Americans, we are lucky to be able to oppose policy without fearing suppression or even imprisonment. This is not the case in many countries, even the most developed nations. But, we still have work to do. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to other nations that have failed to diversify and have often discriminated against race and religion. America is different and should remain different, and that starts with adopting some of the most progressive immigration policies that correspond with an effective immigration system.
Even as one of the most developed nations in the world, our country still faces mass immigration backlogs, deportations, and we continuously reject more refugees than nations a fifth of our size. This is unacceptable and has been permitted by several presidents as an appropriate course of action. Why improve a system that has benefited your agenda so much? Even as this question remains unbeknownst to millions of Americans, bureaucrats have always preferred a system in scrambles as confusion has allowed for limited debate that has secured their interests. Our hope at The Law Offices of James A. Welcome is that the Biden administration reverses course on the past several administration’s disastrous plans for immigration. This takes acknowledging the failures and downfalls of the past. Luckily, Joe Biden has reflected and accepted that many of the policies he did support under President Obama were ineffective and shameful, including mass deportations of immigrants and “caging immigrant minors.”
The only way to improve a system in disarray would start with bold actions, many of which have already been proposed by President-elect Biden. Fortunately, these policies are attainable as many more Americans are vying for action on numerous programs. Immigrants have been left asking whether they’ll see their family again or if they’ll disappear on their way to work after being detained by ICE. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came here as minors have been trying to escape the nightmare DACA has become under the Trump administration. Will President-elect Joe Biden have the answers for immigrants immigrating to the United States? As one of America’s premier immigration Law Firms, we understand the challenges immigrants have faced over the past four years. Attorney James A. Welcome has often challenged such discriminatory policies on behalf of his clients in court while considering all possible legal remedies to further protect his clients. We’re calling on our representatives to work on behalf of millions of Americans and immigrants to execute on our wishes.
The mixed-status family is often a part of thousands of immigrant families’ lives. It describes children, cousins, siblings, parents, spouses, and grandparents, all of which may know someone in their family that has no legal status in the United States. For at least eleven million immigrants facing legal limbos, this is the life they have lived in the United States. Our democracy has benefited off of immigrants who have no legal right to vote even when contributing billions in tax dollars.
Countless immigrants have come to our immigration team vying to avoid deportation just so they can work another day to provide food to their families, educate their children, or receive necessary medical treatment that would otherwise not be available in their home country. Many of them have children that are American citizens themselves or are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Mixed status families are all too common in the United States. In the eyes of the law, undocumented immigrants are determined to “illegal” and “aliens.” At The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, your status doesn’t define you.
Such norms may persist once president-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated. Donald Trump has grasped control of the judiciary with hundreds of circuit court judges and three Supreme Court justices. Even with such power, he has always faced an upward slope on immigration. In 2016, Republicans swept the House and Senate. All branches were controlled by the Republicans, but Democrats were relentless on every immigration move, thankfully preventing and delaying many of his policies. The reelection of Donald Trump would have secured policies that were in legal limbo for years. There would be no doubt in our minds that the President wouldn’t utilize the Covid-19 pandemic to stop immigration in the next four years if he had been reelected.
Donald Trump’s loss has put a hammer in his desire to stop the accomplishments of so many undocumented immigrants. Key policy adviser, Stephen Miller, the architect of many of President Trump’s policies will be unable to force millions into a failed system. But, it is fair to recognize Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were weak candidates against Trump. Even after an impeachment, hundreds of scandals, and the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc, Trump was still capable of securing more votes than any sitting U.S. president. Biden’s narrow victory in numerous swing states could be the reason the senate remains 52-48, and why the house may flip in the next midterm elections. This election may have just kept the status quo intact, even without Trump in office.
Joe Biden will face an upward challenge, the likes of which he has yet to have encountered in his near five decades of service to our nation. Immigration will continue to be a pinnacle discussion in the White House and the implementation of proposed policies that were promised may never happen if persistent efforts aren’t made to control the narrative on immigration. President-elect Joe Biden owes it to millions of undocumented immigrants who were unable to voice their concerns in the 2020 elections, and make due on his promises. If not, undocumented immigrants will remember just another president who promised so much and delivered so little.
Immigrating to the United States? Under a Joe Biden presidency, numerous policies that may have previously challenged your application may be terminated in the next several months. It’s important to get started on your application as early as possible to ensure you’re on track for a favorable outcome. When you partner with our Connecticut attorneys, you can rest knowing your case is a priority and that all legal remedies will be taken on your behalf when appropriate. Contact our award-winning legal team to get started on your case. Call (203) 753-7300 or visit welcomelawfirm.com for 24/7 supports. Where experience meets quality representation.