President Biden points out not only the eagerness to reverse Trump-era immigration policies with his first executive actions, but his willingness to go beyond the Obama administration.
A trio of orders signed by Biden last week seeks to amend the Trump administration’s family separation policy by establishing a working group dedicated to reuniting 545 children with their parents.
Biden also ordered a revision of his predecessor’s public charge rule, which limited immigration opportunities for those who might need to rely on government aid, such as food stamps or other social programs.
But it was Biden’s call for a thorough review of the asylum and naturalization process, along with a commitment to try to address the root causes of Latin American migration, that excited immigration advocates.
“Not only do we back down on Trump’s policies, which at best were superficial and ideological, but we go beyond the Obama administration,” said Thomas Saenz, president of the American Education and Legal and Mexican Defense Fund. .
“It certainly presents a much more sophisticated view of the refugee and asylum issues for the Western Hemisphere that we have not seen,” he added.
Biden’s new administration policy places a special focus on the Northern Triangle, the nickname given to the residents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, where in recent years migratory patterns have rivaled those of Mexican nationality.
The “root cause” strategy called for by the Biden order will encourage aid to strengthen democracy, combat gang violence and boost the economy.
“This is a much more sophisticated view of seeing the problem from deep causes and a recognition that the root causes of the northern triangle are caused in part by the U.S.,” Saenz said.
Many immigration experts celebrate this seismic shift from aid application to a more realistic long-term approach.
“We are now in a situation where we can no longer lead with intense implementation and our approach needs to change, and I think what we have seen from the administration is absolute recognition,” said Jorge Loweree, policy director to the American Immigration Council.
Others argue that the policy, which differs from Obama’s years, will be more cost-effective than recent border security measures, as well as doubling as foreign aid.
“Starting a Marshall Plan for Central America is much cheaper than building a wall or hiring immigration agents. It can provide jobs and security in Central America that could turn off the tap for refugees arriving in the United States instead of building more vats, ”said Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Proponents say Biden is not just proposing policies that go beyond the Obama years; it is also setting a new tone for immigration and setting higher goals.
One of its orders calls for strengthening the inclusion of newly naturalized citizens, a gesture to potentially reduce fees and the testing requirements associated with becoming a citizen.
There are also indications that the Biden administration could diverge from the Obama years by adopting policies that facilitate arrival in the U.S., such as directing the government to consider seeking asylum for people fleeing domestic violence. or bands. Current law protects only those fleeing discrimination on the basis of race, religion, political views, and other protected classes.
Biden also called for the reactivation of another program that the Trump administration intended to eliminate, which allows minors in the northern triangle to apply for refugee status.
But Biden’s orders, along with a comprehensive immigration bill Biden sent to Congress that would provide an eight-year path to citizenship for some 11 million immigrants, are provoking a backlash among some congressional Republicans. .
“Through these actions, President Biden has sent the strong and clear message to the world that our immigration laws can be violated without consequences,” said the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. James ComerJames (Jamie) R. ComerBiden: Immigration Policy Doesn’t Mean Reverse Trump House Oversight Requests Secret Service Information on Threats of Extremist Violence Following Capitol Riots Calls for a Style Panel Grow 9 / 11 to investigate the attack on Capitol MORE (R-Ky.).
“These radical and far-left immigration policies will continue to enable the humanitarian crisis at the border, endangering more children as they are dangerously taken to the southern border, encourage illegal immigration and undermine the rule of law.” , added. .
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Garcia said Democrats will now be shown to show that their policies are sensible.
“One of the attacks that Republicans have on Democrats is that Democrats are on open borders. We have to show that we are not on open borders, but on legal immigration in an orderly fashion,” he said.
Immigration advocates argue that Biden’s plans are a direct response to what they see as Trump’s failures.
“The last four years of asylum policies have been based on the premise that if we find a way to make it as difficult as possible and increase the difficulties people have to endure to get to us, people will give up or “We’ll never get anywhere before. We’ve even moved our parents’ children away from the southern border, but we see people keep coming,” said Loweree.
“He talks about the conditions that people face in their country of origin. People wouldn’t face that kind of risk if staying in their home country wasn’t such a dangerous proposition, ”Loweree added.
That’s where advocates see the possibility of Biden treating the border differently than Trump.
Biden’s order calls for the expansion of host networks “to meet the immediate needs of people who have fled their homes to seek protection elsewhere in the region.”
From Saenz’s perspective, the U.S. has some responsibility for having contributed to a militarized northern triangle that is now creating refugees.
“We contributed a lot to these conditions, and not just with our drug policy, but with our immigration policy,” he said.
“Almost everyone who leaves wants to get out of this situation because it is very dangerous, and this is as true in a war environment as Syria as in the violent circumstances of the northern triangle,” he added.
Loweree argued that Biden should go beyond reuniting separated families during the Trump years.
“They also have to think considerably about some kind of compensation fund to provide reparation for the damages they suffered from the previous administration,” he said.
Still, Loweree said the Biden administration has already made great strides in no time.
“The reality is that they have done a lot. They have been in office for two weeks and have done an extraordinary job on immigration. It is an indication of a new era, “he said.