President Biden Introduces New Immigration Bill

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In a move celebrated by many immigrant advocates, President Biden has sent a new immigration reform bill to Congress.

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 contains several exciting components, including:

- creating a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people

- replacing the word “alien” with “non-citizen” in official documents

- raising per-country caps on family and employment-based immigration

- ending the 3 and 10-year penalties barring entry to the U.S. for certain immigrants

- improving the immigration courts

- supporting asylum seekers

- increasing diversity visas

- prioritizing keeping families together

- addressing the root causes of migration from Central America

- promoting integration and inclusion for immigrants and refugees 

While the proposed legislation is only that at this time – a proposal – it is a welcome sign that the Biden Administration is serious about making immigration reform a priority.

The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 is set to be introduced in the House of Representatives by Linda Sanchez, a democrat from California, and in the Senate by Bob Menendez, a democrat from New Jersey. In its current form, the bill would require the support of at least 10 republican senators in order to defeat a filibuster in the Senate.

If this proposed legislation is not able to pass through both the House and the Senate, then the bill may be broken down into several smaller bills, allowing those items which contain widespread support to be passed into law.

Rest assured that we will be closely monitoring all developments related to this legislation and will inform our clients of any changes to the law which may affect their case.

If you are in need of representation for your immigration case, please contact our office at (425) 374-1681 to schedule a consultation with attorneys Brittan or Mary Beth.

Our attorneys have years of experience handling a wide variety of immigration matters and would be happy to support you in navigating the complexities of the U.S. immigration system.

Plans to Reunite Families and Review “Remain in Mexico” Policy

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President Biden took additional steps this week to address current U.S. immigration policies.

Through a series of three executive orders, he called for reviews of current policy, planning for the future, and recommendations for changes to several policies:

1. Family Separation at the Border 

President Biden signed an executive order to create a task force to reunite families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border during the “zero tolerance” policy of the Trump Administration. The goals of the task force will be to identify the children who were separated from their parents under the “zero tolerance” policy and to make recommendations regarding how those children might be reunited with their parents, as well as how family separation can be avoided in the future.

2. The “Remain in Mexico” Policy for Asylum-Seekers

President Biden also signed an executive order calling for a review of the Migration Protection Protocols, known to many as the “remain in Mexico” policy created under President Trump. The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will not enroll any more migrants in the program, and the executive order instructs the new head of DHS, Alejandro Mayorkas, to review the issues created by the current policy, including a large backlog of cases.

3. Review of Policies that have Created Barriers to Immigration

The third new executive order calls for a review of current policies and guidelines which may create barriers to individuals applying for green cards or U.S. citizenship. It also orders a review of the “public charge” rule, under which officials could deny green cards to applicants who had used certain public assistance programs or might be likely to do so in the future.

It is important to note that these latest announcements do not make changes to the existing law, but rather call for agencies to conduct reviews and make recommendations for future changes. Immigrant rights groups and advocates should continue to monitor policy recommendations and push not only for reviews and planning but also concrete changes to policies and laws.

If you would like more information about the recent executive orders, additional details may be found in the following articles:

The Washington Post

TIME

Politico

If you or someone you know is in need of immigration representation and would like to schedule a consultation with attorney Brittan or Mary Beth, please call our office at (425) 374-1681.

For the protection of our clients and staff, consultations are available via telephone or video conferencing at this time.

Biden's Executive Orders on Immigration

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The first week of the Biden-Harris Administration has been a busy one, with the new President issuing several executive orders and proclamations which pertain to U.S. immigration policy.

Among the new orders that were recently signed, President Biden has committed to:

1. Ending the ban on entry into the U.S. from Muslim-majority countries

President Biden issued a proclamation which reversed Trump’s “Muslim Ban” – a policy which had prevented travelers from entering the U.S. who came from several so-called Muslim-majority countries and several African countries. The proclamation instructs U.S. embassies and consulates to resume the processing of visa applications from those countries and to reconsider applications that were denied under the previous “Muslim Ban.”

2. Changing the policies for enforcing civil immigration laws

President Biden has also issued an executive order which rescinds a Trump-era policy cracking down on communities that attempted to protect undocumented individuals from deportation. Stating that “the policy of my Administration is to protect national and border security, address the humanitarian challenges at the southern border, and ensure public health and safety” and that we must “safeguard the dignity and well-being of all families and communities,” President Biden signaled his intent to have agencies review and amend their immigration enforcement policies.

3. Including undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Census

While the Trump Administration attempted to exclude undocumented individuals from the 2020 U.S. Census, President Biden has signed an executive order instructing that all residents of each state, regardless of their immigration status, be included in the official counts. This is in accordance with the tradition of the U.S. census counting all individuals, irrespective of legal status, when conducting their counts of the U.S. population every ten years.

4. Ending funding for and construction of the border wall

In a move celebrated by many border communities, President Biden issued a proclamation ending any further construction on the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Within the proclamation, President Biden asserts that “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution” and that “it is a waste of money that diverts our attention from genuine threats.” Further declaring that “it shall be the policy of my Administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall” the new President has committed to stopping additional construction of the ugly, wasteful, and cruel wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

5. Strengthening the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program

President Biden has issued a memorandum instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security to take action to “preserve and fortify DACA.” This policy position stands in stark contrast to the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the program and is a welcome sign of support for DACA dreamers and their loved ones.

6. Reinstating Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians

Through a memorandum, President Biden has extended the period of deferred enforced departure for Liberians. This provides thousands of individuals from Liberia who previously came to the U.S. fleeing violence more time to apply for permanent residence status. By extending the deferral of their forced departure from the United States, President Biden has protected these individuals from deportation for an additional period of time.

President Biden will likely issue additional executive orders in the coming weeks, and more details may emerge as federal departments take action in response to these policy recommendations.

Our office will continue to monitor these changes and keep our clients informed of any policy shifts that may impact their case.

We remain hopeful for the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill and will hold our legislators and president accountable for the campaign promises made to America’s immigrant families.

If you are in need of an immigration attorney and would like to schedule a consultation with Brittan or Mary Beth, please call our office at (425) 374-1681.

We are currently offering consultations via telephone or video conferencing, in accordance with public health recommendations meant to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Delays in the issuing of USCIS Receipt Notices

It is taking longer than usual for USCIS to issue receipt notices for some applications that were filed through their lockbox facilities.

Due to problems caused by COVID-19 and an increased strain on the U.S. postal system, it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks for applicants to receive a receipt notice after an application has been submitted.

It is important to note that this delay will not affect the receipt date, as USCIS will note the date the application was originally received, and not the date that the receipt notice was printed and mailed, when they issue the receipt notice.

If you have recently filed an application to a USCIS lockbox and are still waiting for your receipt notice, don’t panic! This delay is unfortunate, but your receipt notice will be issued as quickly as USCIS is able to safely do so.

You can read the full statement from USCIS here:

https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-lockbox-updates

We appreciate your patience at this time and will continue to monitor the processing times for receipt notices and applications.

If you would like to begin an immigration application and have questions about your situation, you may call our office at (425) 374-1681 to schedule a consultation.

Our attorneys are available via telephone or video conferencing to speak with you.

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