President Biden’s New Immigration Bill

Escrito el 15 Feb 2021
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Q#1:    I was told President Biden sent an immigration bill to Congress to overhaul the immigration system. When is this bill going to become law?

A#1:    The US Citizenship Act of 2021 is Biden’s proposal for an immigration overhaul that will need to be discussed and debated in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it’s final version can be written up and voted on before it can become law.

Q#2:    How long will it take for the House and the Senate to debate and vote on this bill before the President can sign it into law?

A#2:    The House and the Senate right now have 3 Priorities that they are current dealing with: the COVID-19 Pandemic; the Impeachment of Ex-President Trump; then the overhaul of the broken immigration system.

Q#3:    What is this new immigration bill likely going to include?

A#3:    The new immigration bill, if passed, would likely legalize the 11 million  people here without status, allow a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, eliminate the long wait times for immigrant visas through family members, and make it easier to get visas through employment. Although there are many details in this proposed immigration bill, none of the details are set in stone until agreement has been reached in the House and the Senate on each specific point, and the President has signed it.

Q#4:    How soon do you think this bill will pass? Will Biden do anything while we wait for this law to pass?

A#4:    Again, the 3 Priorities are the COVID-19 Pandemic and Impeachment, and although the Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate are working on an immigration bill soon, we will likely see this play out over the coming months to a year.

But, while we wait for this bill to pass, President Biden has been signing multiple Executive Orders trying to curtail and undo many of Trump’s anti-immigrant actions, which include:

  1. Strengthening the DACA program;

  2. Stopping the Border Wall construction; and

  3. Changing ICE’s enforcement priorities to focus only on “bad actors”.


Q#5:    What should I do now to get ready for when this immigration bill passes?

A#5:    It is recommended that you consult with an immigration attorney to discuss any programs you might apply for, the documentation you need to get together NOW to be ready for when a bill is passed, and any immigration history you have that might need to be resolved before applying.

Eamonn P.S. Roach is an attorney of the firm Roach & Bishop, LLP in Pasco, Washington, who practices immigration law. This information does not constitute legal advice. It is possible that this information does not apply to you. Each case depends on specific facts. If you have questions regarding the immigration laws that you would like answered in this column, please send them to: Eamonn P.S. Roach, 9221 Sandifur Pkwy, Suite C., Pasco, WA 99301, phone: (509) 547-7587, fax: (509) 547-7745; or email eroach@roachlaw.com.
Eamonn P.S. Roach
eroach@roachlaw.com.

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