Democrat Plan Could Give 11M Immigrants A Path To US Citizenship

NEWARK, NJ — There’s something that Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey shares in common with an estimated 11 million people who could earn their citizenship through the U.S. Citizenship Act.

He knows what it’s like to grow up in a family of immigrants, too.

On Thursday, Menendez and U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez of California introduced President Joe Biden’s long-awaited plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration policy in Congress. Dubbed the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, the federal legislation would create an “earned roadmap to citizenship” for millions of undocumented immigrants, including “Dreamers,” TPS holders and some farmworkers.

Read the Senate version of the bill here. Read the House version of the bill here.

“As the son of Cuban immigrants who fled an oppressive regime for a better life in the United States, I have dedicated much of my career in Congress, both in the House and the Senate, fighting for the dignity of immigrant families in New Jersey and all across America,” said Menendez, a Democratic Party member who has an office in Newark.

“We have an historic opportunity to finally enact bold immigration reform that leaves no one behind, addresses root causes of migration, and safeguards our country’s national security,” the senator urged. “We have a moral and economic imperative to get this done once and for all.”

The proposal has picked up enthusiastic praise – and bitter criticism. Supporters say it will revamp a broken immigration system and make a 180-degree turn from the policies of former President Donald Trump. But opponents say it’s a “blatantly partisan proposal” that “rewards those who broke the law.”

If the legislation passes through Congress and gets a green light from Biden, here are some of the things it will do, according to Menendez and Sánchez:

ROADMAP TO CITIZENSHIP – “Creates an earned roadmap to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, providing Dreamers, TPS holders, and some farmworkers with an expedited three-year path to citizenship, and giving all other undocumented immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes with an eight-year path to citizenship without fear of deportation.”

KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER – “Reforms family-based immigration system to keep families together by recapturing visas from previous years to clear backlogs, including spouses and children of green card holders as immediate family members, and increasing per-country caps for family-based immigration. It also eliminates discrimination facing LGBTQ+ families, provides protections for orphans, widows and children, allows immigrants with approved family-sponsorship petitions to join family in the U.S. on a temporary basis while they wait for green cards to become available.”

EMPLOYMENT CHANGES – “Grows our economy by making changes to the employment-based immigration system, eliminating per-country caps, making it easier for STEM advanced degree holders from U.S. universities to stay, improving access to green cards for workers in lower-wage industries, and giving dependents of H-1B holders work authorization, and preventing children of H-1B holders from aging out of the system. The bill also creates a pilot program to stimulate regional economic development and incentivizes higher wages for non-immigrant, high-skilled visas to prevent unfair competition with American workers.

MORE FUNDS FOR IMMIGRANTS – “Increases funding for immigrant integration initiatives and supports state and local governments, NGOs, and other community organizations that conduct inclusion programs, provide English language assistance, and make available naturalization resources to immigrant communities.”

WORKER PROTECTIONS – “Protects workers from exploitation and improves the employment verification process by requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor to establish a commission involving labor, employer, and civil rights organizations to help improve the employment verification process and granting workers who suffer serious labor violations greater access to U visa relief.”

MORE ASYLUM – “Supports asylum seekers and other vulnerable populations by eliminating the one-year deadline for filing asylum claims, reducing asylum application backlogs, increasing protections for U visa, T visa, and VAWA applicants, including by raising the cap on U visas from 10,000 to 30,000.”

The bill would also make it easier for people in some Central American countries to seek legal status in the United States, and address the root causes of migration from the area by increasing financial assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – provided that they “reduce the corruption, violence, poverty, and famine that now causes people to flee,” Menendez and Sánchez said.

One of the main objections of critics – border security – is also addressed in the bill, lawmakers said. According to Menendez and Sánchez, the legislation:

• Cracks down on bad actors by enhancing the ability to prosecute individuals involved in smuggling, narcotics and trafficking networks who are responsible for drugs flowing into our country and the exploitation of migrants
• Will expand transnational anti-gang task forces in Central America
• Modernizes and manages the border effectively through the use of technology that enhances our ability to detect contraband and counter transnational criminal networks since illicit drugs are most likely to be smuggled through legal ports of entry
• Authorizes and provides funding for plans to improve infrastructure at ports of entry to enhance the ability to process asylum seekers and detect, interdict, disrupt and prevent narcotics from entering the United States

As the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico, Sánchez, the legislation’s primary sponsor in the House, is also taking the effort personally, she said.

“After all, immigration reform isn’t just about policy changes and ‘politics-as-usual,’” said Sánchez, a Democrat. “It’s about people: our loved ones, friends, and neighbors who have been living in our communities and contributing to our country for decades.”

One of the bill's supporters, Angeles Barrancos of Union City, said that for the first time since she immigrated to the United States, she's filled with hope that she won’t be separated from her children.

“I’ve called the United States home for nearly two decades,” said Barrancos, who is a leader with Make the Road New Jersey. “I've worked hard to raise my two kids, one who is a Dreamer and the other, a U.S. citizen, here in New Jersey. Today's introduction of the Citizenship Act of 2021 demonstrates the strength of our movement … we won't stop fighting until all 11 million undocumented people are on a pathway to citizenship.”

Some Republicans in Congress don’t feel the same way about the U.S. Citizenship Act, however.

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio called the bill a “non-starter.” He said:

“President Biden's immigration proposal puts our country's safety and economic interests last at a time when we should be focused on reopening our schools, getting Americans back to work, and defeating COVID-19. This blatantly partisan proposal rewards those who broke the law, floods the labor market at a time when millions of Americans are out of work, fails to secure the border, and incentivizes further illegal immigration. President Biden's radical proposal is a non-starter and should be rejected by Congress.”

The plan was also bashed by the New Jersey GOP when first announced in January.

“The radical left isn’t going to waste any time implementing their ultra-liberal policies that will hurt Americans,” the group charged. “New Jersey already has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Biden’s plan will only further harm our New Jersey businesses and the hardworking men and women who we call our families, friends, and neighbors.”

“Allowing illegal immigrants to cut the line will cause even more damage to our already fragile economy,” the NJGOP stated.

Some business leaders have disagreed with this stance, though, including the New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition, which offered cautious praise for several components of the plan earlier in February.

“Although the pandemic has shut down borders and slowed global migration, the economic, political, and environmental forces that propelled migration prior to the pandemic will likely regain their power,” the group stated. “At the same time, worker shortages in key industries and below-replacement birth rates in developed countries like the U.S. will likely create strong demand for immigrant labor.”

“Immigration is a great asset to the economy, but one that must be managed carefully to avoid an oversupply or undersupply of workers,” the group added.

BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS

While federal lawmakers have been busy at the drawing board with the U.S. Citizenship Act, Biden has made his own overtures at immigration reform with a series of executive orders.

Shortly after his inauguration, Biden signed orders that bolstered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, revoked the Trump administration’s plan to exclude noncitizens from the census, and ended the “Muslim ban,” which blocked travel from several countries with large Muslim and African populations.

Biden’s early executive orders have gained support from some of his Democratic colleagues in Congress, including U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey’s 11th District.

“Like so many Americans, I was deeply disturbed when the former president turned his back on this fundamental right and discriminated against foreign nationals from majority-Muslim countries,” Sherrill said, adding that it was one of the issues that moved her to run for public office.

“In New Jersey, our Muslim neighbors and friends bring us together in times of tragedy and celebration,” Sherrill said. “I welcome this renewed commitment to religious freedom and proudly support this executive action.”

But some Republican and conservative critics have panned Biden’s executive orders, arguing that they’re a recipe for disaster when it comes to immigration reform.

“The White House announced on Monday that ICE will stop the deportations of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes like fraud, assault, money laundering and DUIs,” the New Jersey GOP charged. “Shouldn’t our priority be keeping American citizens safe?”

Ironically, Biden has also seen criticism from some progressives in New Jersey, who say that despite lofty rhetoric, the lives of many immigrants remain largely unchanged from the recent administration of Donald Trump.

Throughout February, activists with several immigrant rights groups have been rallying outside Newark Penn Station, demanding “an end to all detention and deportation across the country.”

“Democrats have said they want to reunify families, and President Biden has issued a moratorium on deportations,” said the mother of an ICE detainee at Bergen County Jail in Hackensack.

“So why are our families still being separated indefinitely right here in New Jersey?” she questioned.

Cosecha New Jersey issued the following statement about Biden’s recent actions:

“While more executive orders continue to be issued by the new administration, our community is seeing more deportation and a lack of political willingness to truly fight for all undocumented immigrants in this country and address the decades of bipartisan attacks on our families. Just undoing Trump’s policies means a return to millions deported and criminalization and division of our community – a legacy this president will have to reckon with actions not words.”

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