Biden is Called Upon to Use his Executive Power to Fix the Immigration Status of Millions of Immigrants in the Country
The action by U.S. Congressmen comes amid concern over the advancement of HB 10 in North Carolina.A group of Democratic congressmen, along with leaders of pro-immigrant organizations, asked President Joe Biden to use his executive power to open a path to legalization for millions of undocumented immigrants who have been living in the country for years.
“We are here to call on President Biden to take executive action to protect undocumented immigrants who have been waiting for years for immigration reform in the country,” Senator Alex Padilla of California said at a press conference. A letter signed by more than 80 lawmakers, including members of the Hispanic and Progressive Caucus, including Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina’s 12th District, calls on Biden to “take available steps to expedite pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrants,” ahead of the November election. In the letter, the signatories warn that “deporting all of those people – as former President Donald Trump has threatened to do if re-elected – would devastate the economy and destroy the families of this country.” What They Ask of Biden Congressmen propose concrete measures to legalize immigrants with family and no criminal history in the country to obtain a Parole (Humanitarian Permit for Temporary Stay), TPS (Temporary Protected Status), or an immigration status that provides stability for families. One of the requests is to expedite the change of status of Dreamers, as well as to allow, on a case-by-case basis, undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens to apply for parole, and to reduce the time it takes to process their “green cards” (permanent residency cards), so they can work. Pressure on the Biden Campaign The visit to Washington is part of a pressure on Biden’s campaign, focused on asking him to grant work permits to the millions of undocumented, tax-paying immigrants who lack criminal records. This pressure began last year after the government, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), activated the humanitarian waiver program (parole) for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (since October 2022), to enter the country with a temporary visa for two years, without prior authorization for a sponsor. “Despite all that immigrants bring to our economy, we’ve seen immigration proposals in recent months that have left these communities behind, it’s unacceptable, that’s why we’re demanding that the president use his executive power to offer relief to these communities, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s in the interest of our country,” Senator Padilla said. These requests follow another letter sent in March by Senator Padilla, who sits on the Immigration Subcommittee, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin. President Biden has reached out to immigrant advocacy groups before making a decision about using his executive authority in the coming weeks to restrict the number of immigrants who cross the southern border. A Glimmer of Hope Amid the Advance of HB 10 in North Carolina The push from congressmen and pro-immigrant groups to achieve immigration relief for millions of undocumented people comes at a crucial time in North Carolina due to the advance of HB 10, which would force all sheriffs in the state to collaborate with ICE. But the request by congressmen and pro-immigrant groups to President Biden would be a “lifeline” for thousands of undocumented immigrants in North Carolina. At this week’s meetings in Washington, North Carolina’s Charlotte Latin American Coalition, led by its executive director, Jose Hernandez Paris, was on behalf of North Carolina. “We have been making policy recommendations, where we believe that the president has the authority to give work permits for undocumented people who have been here for a while, things have been done for newcomers, but there is a very important group of people who have been here 5, 10, 20 years,” Hernandez Paris told Enlace Latino NC. The meetings have been attended by immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens and who, after many years, have not been able to regularize their immigration status. Hernandez Paris mentioned the case of a U.S. citizen who has been married to an undocumented Brazilian for more than 20 years. “They were with their daughter, and they have lived all these years in fear. The idea is that families like this have some migratory resource,” he said. “We know that it is not an immigration reform, that leaves many people out, but we need something for families, because as we see the elections are complicated and we could see a very difficult environment for immigrants,” he added. |