President Biden’s allies on Capitol Hill on Thursday unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s immigration system, describing it as a humane response to four years of President Donald J. Trump’s assault on immigrants.
The US Citizenship Act of 2021, formally introduced by a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate, amounts to a lengthy wish list for pro-immigration activists and a down payment on Biden’s campaign promise to provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
It would allow virtually all undocumented immigrants to eventually apply for citizenship; increase legal immigration; add measures to secure ports of entry and speed processing of asylum seekers; and invest $4 billion in the economies of Central American countries to reduce migration.
“We’re here today because last November 80 million Americans voted against Donald Trump and against everything he stood for,” Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, said at a virtual news conference. “They voted to restore common sense, compassion and competence in our government, and part of that mandate is fixing our immigration system, which is a cornerstone of Trump’s hateful horror show.”
The Biden administration also acted on Thursday to curtail the number of arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants.
New York Times News Service
