Here's what's in Biden's immigration bill
President Biden's immigration bill includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Here's the plan.
Intro
President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have proposed a major immigration overhaul that would offer an eight-year pathway to citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally.
The legislation reflects the broad priorities for immigration changes that Biden laid out on his first day in office, including an increase in visas, more money to process asylum applications and new technology at the southern border.
It would be a sharp reversal of Trump administration policies, and parts are likely to face opposition from a number of Republicans. Biden has acknowledged he might accept a more-piecemeal approach if separate major elements could be approved.
Green cards to farm workers, young people who arrived in US as children
The bill would immediately provide green cards to farm workers, those with temporary protected status and young people who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children.
Path to citizenship
For others living in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, 2021, the plan establishes a five-year path to temporary legal status, if they pass background checks, pay taxes and fulfill other basic requirements. Then, after three years, they can pursue citizenship.
Raise current per-country caps
The plan would raise the current per-country caps for family and employment-based immigrant visas.
Eliminate penalty on returns
It would eliminate the penalty barring those immigrants who live in the U.S. without authorization and who then leave the country from returning for three to 10 years.
Provide support for processing asylum seekers
It also would provide resources for more judges, support staff and technology to address the backlog in processing asylum seekers.
Boost economic development, tackle corruption in Latin American countries
The plan includes $4 billion spread over four years to try to boost economic development and tackle corruption in Latin American countries, to try to address some of the root causes of migration to the U.S.
Expand transnational anti-drug task forces in Central America
The bill would expand transnational anti-drug task forces in Central America and enhances technology at the border. And it would try to reduce the burden at the border by setting up refugee processing in Central America, to try to prevent some of the immigrant caravans that have overwhelmed border security in recent years.
Remove 'alien' from federal law
Biden's proposed bill, if passed, also would remove the word "alien" from US immigration laws, replacing it with the term "noncitizen." The change, an administration official said, is "to better reflect the President's values on immigration."
US code currently defines "alien" as "any person not a citizen or national of the United States." Officials in the past have pointed to the term's prevalence in US laws to defend their word choices.
But the term "illegal alien," long decried as a dehumanizing slur by immigrant rights advocates, became even more of a lightning rod during the Trump era -- with some top federal officials encouraging its use and several states and local governments taking up measures to ban it.
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