Joe Biden was officially sworn into office as President on January 20, 2021. That same day, he made several significant immigration policy changes as well. Discover the key details in our latest blog post!
100 Day Pause on Deportations
The first major change announced on January 20th is a 100 day pause on deportations for many undocumented immigrants. The change went fully into effect a few days later on Friday, January 22. The reason for this temporary pause is simply to create time for the new administration to reassess priorities when it comes to immigration. By the end of the 100 day stretch, the hope is to have a fairer immigration system in place that ensures public safety while still being fair to those attempting to legally become US citizens.
Changes to the Migrant Protocols Protection
On Thursday, January 21, the Department of Homeland Security officially stopped adding new individuals to Migrant Protection Protocols. Previously, this program forced individuals without proper documentation to be returned to Mexico until their entire immigration process was completed. This is a notable step forward for human rights, but there are a few things we need to keep in mind while the revised program is still in its infancy:
- The new changes do not impact those already participating in MPP. As the process undergoes revision in the coming months, the 60,000 migrants forced back to Mexico up until now will have to remain there until further notice.
- The new legislation only applies to those who are already in the United States. This means that for now, new asylum seekers are risking potential expulsion just as they were under the previous administration.
While these two points do create temporary reasons for concern, we are still off to a great start in immigration reform so far this year. In addition to the new key policy changes, the president sent an immigration-reform bill to Congress that contains several longer-term agenda items, including a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Elizabeth Anu Law Can Help You Through the Immigration Process
If you or a loved one is uncertain how to proceed with the immigration process, choose an experienced firm like the Law Office of Elizabeth Anu Lawrence to give you the help you need. Please give us a call at 443.352.3201. Skype and telephone consultation are both available to clients.