Former Vice President Joe Biden intends to introduce an amnesty bill on the very first day of his presidency, an eight-year pathway to citizenship of United States' 11 million undocumented immigrants. The proposal would radically overturn President Donald Trump's immigration policies that highlight "zero tolerance" for illegal immigration.
Biden's plan will provide illegal immigrants with "one of the fastest pathways to citizenship" of any major immigration laws proposed but excludes provisions for strengthening border security, The Blaze reported.
Biden promised during his campaign that he would "take urgent action to end the Trump Administration's draconian policies" which he said were "grounded in fear and racism" and would put an end to Trump's "zero tolerance" policy. He also vowed to "aggressively advocate for legislation that creates a clear roadmap to legal status and citizenship" for illegal immigrants, the news continued.
"Under the legislation, those living in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, 2021, without legal status would have a five-year path to temporary legal status, or a green card, if they pass background checks, pay taxes and fulfill other basic requirements. From there, it's a three-year path to naturalization, if they decide to pursue citizenship.
For some immigrants, the process would be quicker. So-called Dreamers, the young people who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children, as well as agricultural workers and people under temporary protective status could qualify more immediately for green cards if they are working, are in school or meet other requirements," the Associated Press (AP) explained.
The Blaze also said that Biden's bill will address the reason behind the migration of people from Central America to the United States and will provide grants for English language learning and workforce development but is expected to face opposition from Republicans due to its exclusion of any provision to strengthen border security.
The Biden administration also aims to provide Central America with a $4 billion foreign aid package to help its governments tackle corruption, develop their legal and educational systems and fight gang and gender-based violence.
"In a closely divided Congress, Democrats will need Republican support to avoid a filibuster and advance any legislation through the Senate. It remains to be seen if the Democratic Party will engage the 'nuclear option' of changing the Senate rules to end the filibuster and prevent the Republican minority from blocking major parts of Biden's agenda, though several Democrats have indicated opposition to that extreme step," the news added.
In another AP article, the news stated that the proposal is heavily opposed both by the Republicans and conservatives.
Marco Rubio said that there are other issues that they can work cooperatively with Biden but is against the issue of amnesty for the people whom he said are in the United States unlawfully.
Mark Krikorian, the Center for Immigration Studies executive director, also opposes the bill.
On the other hand, Sen. Robert Menendez believes that moving the bill will not be easy but thinks it is possible.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holds the tie-breaking vote of the 50-50 Senate which will be controlled by the Democrats. The House 222-211, with two vacancies, is currently controlled also by the Democrats.
