Biden Took 3 More Executive Actions on Immigration. Did He Go Far Enough?

On February 2, 2021, following the affirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of Homeland Safety, President Biden signed three govt orders that take steps to additional unwind the Trump administration’s restrictions on immigration. The actions construct on Biden’s first spherical of immigration modifications, which he signed on Inauguration Day.

Here’s a abstract of the three most up-to-date actions:

1. Creation of a Household Reunification Taskforce

Biden rescinded Trump’s govt order that justified household separation. He additionally known as for the creation of an interagency taskforce that may determine youngsters and oldsters separated below the Trump administration and facilitate their reunification.

Out of roughly 5,000 households that had been separated earlier than, throughout, and after the official zero tolerance coverage, roughly 1,000 haven’t been reunified. The federal government has not contacted an estimated 600 mother and father. Many acquired deported with out their youngsters.

Biden instructed the duty pressure to offer suggestions on the way to mitigate the hurt of separations, reminiscent of psychological well being providers for separated households and the readmission of deported mother and father and different members of the family.

The president additionally directed the duty pressure to offer suggestions on the way to forestall future separations. The duty pressure will present a progress report after 120 days and each 60 days after that.

2. Starting the Work of Lifting Restrictions on Asylum on the Border

The Biden administration ordered a multi-pronged method to asylum seekers at our southern border.

The administration will work to handle the underlying violence and poverty that result in migration from Central America. It would additionally work with different nations within the area to develop their capability to guard asylum seekers. That raises issues that asylum seekers could get despatched to nations that don’t have the flexibility to guard them. This occurred below Trump’s Asylum Cooperative Agreements as properly.

Biden additionally ordered the Division of State (DOS) and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) to overview mechanisms for folks to use for immigration standing within the U.S. from Central America. This contains refugee resettlement, parole, and the reestablishment of the Central American Minors program.

Lastly, the president has directed DHS to overview insurance policies that function limitations to asylum, together with the Migrant Safety Protocols, Asylum Cooperative Agreements, Title 42 expulsions, asylum transit ban, expedited removing, and the adjudication of home violence and gang-based asylum claims.

Biden additionally ordered DHS to halt implementation of the Immediate Asylum Assessment Program and Humanitarian Asylum Assessment Course of, which rushed asylum seekers by their circumstances with out entry to attorneys. After Biden signed the order, the Secretary of State introduced that the administration intends to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements.

Asylum seekers ready on the border had hoped for the speedy announcement of a course of permitting them to enter the USA. That was not included within the order. As an alternative, the companies should solely start to develop such a process.

The order additionally revoked a list of different Trump insurance policies.

3. Repairing the Authorized Immigration System

Companies should conduct a full overview of latest rules, insurance policies, and steering which have restricted authorized immigration and naturalization, together with the USCIS charge rule, public cost, and medical insurance proclamation.

The president rescinded a Trump memo ordering DHS to implement sponsor affidavits of help. He additionally reestablished a Activity Power on New Individuals, which can work to enhance the combination and inclusion of immigrants into our society.

Critically, these bulletins don’t deal with the COVID-19-related immigrant and non-immigrant visa bans. These proceed to dam 1000’s of immigrants from having the ability to enter the USA.

One other anticipated govt order asserting the president’s plans to revive the refugee resettlement cap has not been signed but. The cap presently sits on the lowest level in U.S. historical past after it was decimated by the Trump administration. White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki indicated at a Tuesday afternoon press convention that it will come quickly.

President Biden’s second spherical of immigration-related govt actions take essential steps towards reuniting households and restoring our asylum and authorized immigration methods. Nonetheless, an excessive amount of work stays. A lot will rely on particular person authorities companies’ suggestions and actions after the evaluations are full.

Time is of the essence for separated households, asylum seekers on the border, and immigrants ready to journey on visas. We should start the work of repairing our immigration system now.

Photograph through the White Home

FILED UNDER: Biden-Harris Administration, Division of Homeland Safety, govt motion, household separation