Biden Administration Immigration Policies

Biden’s Immigration Policies

President Joe Biden’s immigration policy is based on reversing the majority of the immigration policies of Trump’s administration on the same. Joe Biden’s first day in the office involved a reversal of most of the former administration’s policies under former president Trump. Together with the Department of Homeland Security under Alejandro Mayorkas’ leadership, Biden’s administration intensely reined immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) deportation practices and prioritized national security. Immigration has been a significant source of cultural change and population growth in the United States. This has made it have a significant immigrant population compared to other countries. The following are the policies under Biden’s Immigration Bill (Hiestand, 2021).

The Border Wall

This involved the proclamation in terminating the emergency regarding the United States Southern Border, and the funds shifted to the border’s construction wall redirected. Soon after Joe Biden’s inauguration, he halted the construction of the Mexican border wall, stating that the funds would be reallocated. The main strength of this policy is a remedy to the cultural and environmental destruction brought about by the wall construction since borderland, including sacred sites, had been dried and destroyed during the construction. The main weakness of this policy is that the United States, without the construction of the border wall, will be left insecure and open to threats (Hiestand, 2021). This would potentially happen since the border would be left open for non-citizens of the United States, including those whose primary interest is criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking. The two administrations have varying approaches regarding this policy. According to Biden, as much as the US needs to protect its citizens from threats and secure its borders, the wall’s construction is not a serious policy solution. Trump’s administration’s argument mainly came from an economic and the United States security perspective.

Travel Ban

This constitutes the ending of the discriminatory bans on individuals entering the United States, lifting certain travel restrictions on immigrant visas for individuals from countries including Tanzania, Syria, Eritrea, Iran, and Venezuela, among other nine countries, mainly of the Muslim religion. The strength of this policy is that it allows the selected countries to resume processing visas for their nationals and ensure pending waivers and visa applications are not discriminated against. This could have positive impacts, particularly on the country’s economic growth. The main weakness of this policy is the impact it would have on the United States treasury since the immigrants coming into the United States would also have access to benefits including earned income tax credit, Medicaid, food stamps, and public education. This treasury would need to cater for this extra expense on individuals who are not United States citizens. Therefore, it is recommended that while the ban is lifted, the economic impact should be weighed thoroughly, and a determination made if the pros outweigh the cons and vice versa.

Furthermore, there should be strategies to ensure that an immigrant does not overstay to lower the economic impact on the treasury. Looking at the two administrations regarding this policy, Biden considers this ban a stain on the national consciousness. This opinion varies with that of Trump, who seemed to feel the Muslim community a threat judging from a statement he issued (Hiestand, 2021).

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)

On 20th January last year, Biden gave the executive order about revising the ICE policies and priorities. This revised the previous order by Trump that prompted the removal of every undocumented immigrant and a withdrawal of federal funding from the sanctuary states. The main strength of the revision under Biden’s administration is that it forbade and restricted the importations based on the less severe offenses and instead prioritized violent behavior and properly documented gang memberships and other rape, murder, child abuse records, among other serious crimes. The implementation of the policy would also relieve the mixed-status families and lower the economic burden on them. This policy’s weakness is that it has not been strong enough to gain approval and has been hit by several blockage efforts, including a restraining order by the Supreme Court. The recommendation is that the policy is established clearly so that every stakeholder understands what it entails in detail and its repercussions. Comparing the two administrations regarding this policy, Biden looks at it from the humane point of view, considering even the families affected by the immediate deportations based on the offenses of smaller magnitudes and the children immigrants who come unaccompanied. Biden also places a priority on the major crimes, while Trump’s administration effectively set no priority.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

This concerns the preservation and fortification of DACA. The Attorney General and the DHS Secretary had been directed to take every action necessary and align with the United States law to preserve and fortify DACA. This program is meant to relieve individuals from advance parole, work authorization, and deportation for unauthorized migrants who got into the US when they were children. The main strength of this policy preservation is that it upholds. It considers the recipients who have been integrated into the United States communities and have contributed positively to their growth and access to various opportunities. The direct beneficiaries reap the benefits. Weaknesses of the policy include it not being a guarantee or pathway to legalization and its limited reach. Many beneficiaries have parents or relatives who lack access to the same access and protection. The imbalance creates burdens and strains to the young beneficiaries, especially those who contribute to the family expenses. The recommendation is that the beneficiaries’ families are also offered the same or almost similar access to the resources and protection to relieve them of the stress, strain, and burden. According to former president Trump, many DACA beneficiaries are hardened criminals, portraying his negative opinion about immigrants. Biden’s approach is that the beneficiaries who are immigrants should at least receive better opportunities, and the policy should therefore be upheld.

Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)

This is about the reinstatement of the DED for Liberians through 2022 and restored the DED for the previously protected individuals before it expired on 10th January this year. This program provides immigrants work authorizations and protection against deportations to citizens of the selected countries as authorized by the president, giving them time to apply for permanent residency. The memorandum further directs the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to ensure that the nationals experience timely adjudication to apply the LRIF benefits and ease of application. The strength of this policy is that the nationals of the designated countries are offered protection from deportation and are also allowed to work, thereby contributing towards the economic growth by the provision of labor and directly contributing to the economy by purchasing goods and services (Hiestand, 2021). However, the limitation of this policy is that the nationals are not automatically allowed to make trips abroad and can only do so with advance parole. Even though the president may give directives, including travel authorization, the DED holders must have advance parole approval if they seek to travel abroad. A recommendation is that the DED holders are extended the timeline as they seek permanent residence and possibly a policy that can allow them to travel abroad without advance parole. Again, the former administration’s approach to immigration based on this policy defers from that of Joe Biden’s administration, especially since Trump moved to terminate this policy considered immigrant humanitarian protection and relief. The policy is further considered “a life-saving immigration program.” Biden’s decision to reinstate the program indicates his belief in humanity extended to immigrants.