Biden Administration Changes to Immigration
On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued several orders on immigration. Some orders take immediate effect while others may take more time to be implemented.
If you think these policies affect you, contact a lawyer or legal service provider. Among the changes are:
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remains in place. Deportations* were paused for 100 days (starting January 22), with some exceptions, and new enforcement policies will be adopted.
Travel bans** barring entry for nationals of certain Muslim-majority and African nations were revoked.
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) protection was extended for Liberian nationals until June 30, 2022.
Enrollments in the Migrant Protection Protocols that keep asylum seekers waiting in Mexico were suspended — but it is unclear how cases will be handled at the border.
* On Jan. 26, a district court temporarily prevented the government from implementing the 100-day pause.
** The travel bans applied to nationals from Burma, Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen.
NOTE: This situation remains fluid and policies can shift rapidly.
WILL CONGRESS PASS AN IMMIGRATION BILL?
President Biden has proposed a sweeping immigration bill that would make more people eligible for legal status. At this time, Congress has not passed any immigration bill into law. This means that no new options to apply for legal status have been created, and no broad legalization program has been adopted.
HOW QUICKLY WILL CHANGE OCCUR?
Although there have been many announcements with promised changes, many of them will take time to be implemented. Policies, rules, and laws will need to be put in place first. This means you may not see an immediate impact or be able to access new benefits in the short term.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
Contact your lawyer or legal service provider.If you do not currently have an immigration attorney, use the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association, Immigration Lawyer Search to locate one.
WHAT IS OUR OFFICE DOING?
We are closely monitoring these changes and encourage you to contact us if you believe these changes may effect you. (407) 483-1633.
