Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
After Joseph Biden was sworn in this morning as the 46th president of the United States, the new president fulfilled his electoral promise where he promised that on the first day of his term he would present an immigration bill, which includes the possibility for approximately 11 million undocumented people to obtain legal residency.
After four years of Donald Trump being very aggressive against immigrants, Wednesday's announcement is a respite for thousands of people who for years have sought to remain in the country legally and without fear of deportation or separation of families.
The details of the bill, which the Democrat sent to Congress on Wednesday, are part of his commitment to "modernize" the immigration system towards the "U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021".
It should be noted that the initiative must receive the support of the legislative chambers, which are currently made up of a majority of Democrats, which could speed up the procedures for the modification of the law to become a fact.
With the reform, around 11 million immigrants could obtain their green card as long as they meet certain requirements, among which are that they have always paid their taxes and do not have a criminal record.
In addition to the beneficiaries are the "Dreamers", minors who arrived in the country as children with their parents, who are also undocumented, as well as those protected under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), mostly Central Americans.
While immigrant farm workers will be able to aspire to "immediate" legal residency, and three years later to access citizenship.
It is important to note that the bill establishes that the measure will only apply to those immigrants who have been physically present in the United States on or before January 1, 2021.
In addition, those who were deported during the Trump administration, since January 20, 2017, and who were physically present for at least three years prior to removal may apply for the same benefit for "family unity and other humanitarian purposes."
Family reunification will also be a guideline in the bill, where importance will be given to LGBTQ+ family groups.
Also, the bill includes a provision that prohibits "discrimination based on religion and limits presidential authority to issue future prohibitions" and increases diversity visas from 55,000 to 80,000.
If passed, Biden's bill would become the largest immigration reform since the administration of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), who at the time legalized three million undocumented immigrants.
