Creating an Immigrant-Welcoming United States
/Like many of you, we are excitedly counting down to the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden on January 20th, 2021.
During this time of transition, several decisions will be made regarding who will be nominated to serve in key cabinet positions as part of Joe Biden’s leadership team, as well as what kinds of policy changes the new administration will advocate for from day one.
This is the time to make sure that a fair, humane, and efficient immigration system remains a top priority for the new administration.
One nomination that appears to embody an immigrant-friendly atmosphere is that of Antony Blinken. Joe Biden has announced that he will nominate Mr. Blinken to serve as his Secretary of State. Mr. Blinkin previously served as a Deputy Secretary of State during the Obama presidency, and has several years of experience working in foreign policy.
As he explains in this guest appearance on Sesame Street back in 2016 (see video below), Mr. Blinken believes that refugees should be welcomed to the U.S. and treated with understanding and respect. This is the kind of attitude we want to see among our nation’s leaders!
Creating an immigration system rooted in justice and fairness will take more than just a good attitude, though. In addition to public statements in support of immigrants and refugees, we also want to see policy changes that lead to real improvements in current immigration procedures.
To that end, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has announced a list of policy recommendations for the incoming Biden-Harris administration. These recommendations, which address key issues such as reducing the backlog of cases at USCIS, restoring fairness and integrity to U.S. immigration courts, and ensuring fair and humane treatment of migrants at the U.S. border, represent the kinds of tangible changes that we want to see in the coming months.
We all must work together to hold our government leaders accountable and ensure that they follow through on their statements and promises!
Now is the time to make our voices heard and see to it that immigration reform remains a top priority both on and after Inauguration Day.
If you’d like to learn more, the entire list of AILA’s recommendations can be found here:
https://www.aila.org/infonet/a-vision-for-america-as-a-welcoming-nation
Updates about the Biden-Harris Administration transition process, including who will be nominated for various cabinet positions, can be found here:
As always, if you or someone you know has a case with immigration, we strongly recommend that you/they obtain legal representation from a reputable, high-quality attorney.
Our office is currently scheduling consultations via telephone or video conferencing. Call us at (425) 374-1681 to schedule an individual meeting with Brittan or Mary Beth!
