#legal pathway for undocumented migrants

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Isabela Dias at Mother Jones:

Earlier this week, the Biden administration officially announced a long-anticipated border crackdown. The executive action—which relies on the same presidential authority former President Donald Trump invoked to enact an entry ban on travelers from Muslim-majority countries—circumvents a key provision of US law: The legal right to seek asylum, regardless of where or how a person enters the country. Under Biden’s order, with narrow exceptions, only migrants coming to official ports of entry will qualify for asylum after encounters at the border reach a certain threshold. This may sound wonky. But it is in line with what Biden vowed to try to do as the November election approaches: shut down the border “right now.” And, still, not even a Democratic president gutting asylum has placated the anti-immigrant fearmongers on the right.

Even before Biden gave his speech about the new border proclamation, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was live on Fox News calling the measures “mass amnesty” for “illegals.” He was echoed by Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Donald Trump and president of the “lawfare” America First Legal group, who wasted no time cherry-picking sections of the executive order and sharing them without context to baselessly claim the new rule gives “fast-pass entry to unlimited numbers of fighting-age” migrants. “This border EO makes mass migration permanent,” Miller wrote on X. Not to be outdone, House Speaker Mike Johnson—who declared the now-defunct bipartisan senate border deal “dead on arrival”—called it “window dressing” and said President Biden is “allowing thousands of illegals to cross because he wants to turn them into voters.” None of this is true. The proclamation halts the entry of migrants between ports of entry when apprehensions at the border average 2,500 per day over the course of a week. The suspension can only be lifted 14 days after that number drops to a seven-day average of 1,500 daily encounters, meaning it would be in effect for at least 21 days. How could that not be considered a harsh enforcement measure?

Yes, the rule allows for exemptions for unaccompanied minors, victims of “severe form of trafficking,” as well as in some cases based on “operational considerations” and “urgent humanitarian” circumstances. And it doesn’t affect the processing of claims from asylum seekers through the CBP One cellphone application at ports of entry. But we are talking about a fundamental violation of asylum law and the Refugee Convention on the part of the Biden administration to appease right-wing anger over migration. “President Biden’s action sets a dangerous international precedent as a first-of-its-kind numerical cap on asylum,” Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, said in a statement, “limiting the number of people who can claim asylum in the United States.”

Plus, this is far from the first restriction. The Biden administration has already limited access to asylum with another ban known as “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways.” It created a “presumption of ineligibility” for asylum if migrants can’t show that they made an appointment on the flawed CBP One app to come to a port of entry, had previously sought and been denied protection in another country on their way to the United States, or qualified for narrow exceptions under “exceptionally compelling circumstances.”

President Joe Biden (D) gave everything the right-wing immigration restrictionists wanted, and it’s still not good enough for them, as they continue to whine about Biden giving out “mass amnesty” for undocumented immigrants.

[kdevasier]

Understanding the Current Border Debate in Congress

On Joe Biden's first day in the White House, he sent a bill to Congress to reform America's immigration system. Called the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, it would have done what Republicans have been wanting, which has been to provide more security for the U.S./Mexican border. The bill did not pass, but lately, Republicans have been arguing that Biden has done nothing to address the influx of migrants at the southern border. So lets discuss what the bill would specifically have done, and why it did not pass.

First, briefly, here is a quick overview of what the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 would have done:

1.) Provide a roadmap for undocumented immigrants to apply for temporary legal status, with the ability to apply for green cards after five years if they pass criminal and national security background checks and pay their taxes. 

2.) Allocate additional funding for the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and implement a plan to deploy technology to expedite screening and enhance the ability to identify narcotics and other contraband at every land, air, and sea port of entry. 

3.) Improve the immigration courts by expanding family case management programs, reducing immigration court backlogs, expanding training for immigration judges, and improving technology for immigration courts.

3.) Create a $4 billion four-year inter-agency plan to address the underlying causes of migration in the region, which would include increasing assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, conditioned on their ability to reduce the endemic corruption, violence, and poverty that causes people to flee their home countries. 

There is a lot more to the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, but the point is that the bill would have tackled the root cause of migrants from Central America, provided a pathway for undocumented individuals to escape legal limbo and become citizens, and bolstered security at the southern border. Everything that the Republicans would want, right? Nope.

In a recent interview with CNN, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) said: "Let me tell you, I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating." In another interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), in response to Tapper's questions of accepting Biden's offer to allocate $14 billion in supplemental aid to bolster security at the border for right now, he responded with "no." With the economy improving and the 2024 elections rapidly approaching, Republicans recognize that the issue at the border will an excellent cudgel for them to hit Biden and Democrats with. Sadly, it also means that no serious measures will not be taken unless voters decide to put serious people in charge to solve the problem.

[locustheologicus]

The choice in the election is not between two competing blueprints for border management. Harris is proposing practical reforms to fortify the border and overhaul the immigration process in line with the nation’s labor needs and humanitarian aspirations. Trump proposes an exclusionist project that would not only bring turmoil and hardship to communities across the country but would also do long-term damage to the U.S. economy and undermine the United States’ global reputation as a place of opportunity and freedom.

This is a good and thorough article on the actual policy choice that we can expect from candidates Trump and Harris on immigration. The author’s ultimate assessment is this.

Trump’s purge does not offer functional solutions to a broken system that would make the border more secure. Instead, his nativist agenda would spread divisive conflict and mainly serve to fortify his presidential powers and enhance his image as the leader of an incipient authoritarian project. Harris offers something entirely different, a pragmatic program based on respect for immigrants, in which she rejects “the false choice” between securing the border and creating an immigration system that is “safe, orderly, and humane.”

If you can read the article (you may need a subscription) I suggest you do so because it is very thorough. If not here is what the bottom line is regarding the policy we can expect.

Harris said she would impose new penalties to ban unlawful crossers from any access to asylum, speed up deportations, and bar deportees from returning for five years. Repeat offenders would face severe criminal charges, Harris also said she would work to open legal pathways for undocumented immigrants, especially the farm workers who make up nearly half of the nation’s agricultural labor force and those who came as children, known as Dreamers. But the core of her program is one frequently repeated commitment: if elected president, she will resurrect and sign the border security bill. In its current form, the bill is heavy on Republican enforcement priorities and does not address Democrats’ most long-standing reform demands, particularly for pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, and spouses of American citizens. The bill stops short of building out an asylum system that would provide timely but also fair decisions, ensure due process, and support lasting resettlement for migrants who are legitimately fleeing persecution. If Harris wins the White House and takes up the bill, it will be only the starting point for intense negotiations in what will inevitably still be a closely divided, bitterly polarized Congress.

In comparison this is what the author suggest about Trump’s policy.

Trump promises a massive operation. He says he will invoke an obscure statute, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to mobilize multiple law enforcement agencies, the National Guard, and U.S. military troops to repel the “predatory incursion.” Miller speaks of setting up “vast holding facilities” along the border, reminiscent of the internment camps where Japanese American citizens were confined during World War II. Trump has made it clear the roundup could be violent. Many of the immigrants Trump has vowed to deport are in the United States legally. To achieve the scale of deportations he envisions, Trump’s plan calls for a far-reaching countrywide dragnet. Agents would go house to house and raid workplaces in an offensive that would sweep up many people who are not criminals, disrupt businesses and schools, and forcefully separate families. They would go hunting among the 11 million undocumented people in the country. Nearly three-quarters of those immigrants have been settled in the United States for more than a decade, long since gaining steady work, paying taxes, buying homes, and melding productively into the society.

Immigrants are unfortunately easy to vilify these days. Candidate Trump has created a very negative image that is terribly inaccurate but with the failed policies and tremendous swell of immigration into this country the image has endured. It is woefully inaccurate and illogical portrayal of this community but logic and accuracy are not so much a priority these days.

So these are the policies we can expect from our two candidates. Immigrants will need to brace for a stricter procedure after November 5th, that is inevitable. Yet the difference between these two positions are very stark.

[chrisabraham]

Every time Harris is asked about the border, she avoids the real issue—illegal crossings and the overflow at the southern border. Instead, she pivots to political talking points and legal pathways, ignoring the bigger problem. I believe her focus is on increasing the U.S. labor force through undocumented migrants willing to work in tough conditions, all while trying to distract us from this agenda.

[citynewsglobe]

[ad_1] In a major coverage shift, President Biden has courageously taken steps to deliver law-abiding migrants out of the shadows, permitting them to work legally and proceed contributing to the U.S. economic system as they've all the time achieved. This new govt order represents a daring transfer in direction of addressing the longstanding difficulty of undocumented immigrants who've been residing and dealing within the nation for years with out authorized recognition. A Pathway to Authorized Standing The coverage change is poised to affect an estimated 500,000 spouses of U.S. residents and 50,000 kids underneath the age of 21. These people will now not face the specter of deportation whereas making use of for everlasting residency. Moreover, the order gives a pathway for Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients with greater schooling levels to acquire work-related visas, opening new alternatives for these younger immigrants who've been raised and educated in america. The introduction of this coverage marks a major shift for a lot of who've been residing within the shadows. On common, these eligible have resided within the U.S. for 23 years, in line with White Home officers. This long-overdue change acknowledges their contributions and gives a way of safety and legitimacy to their lives. The Function of Immigrants within the Financial system For years, a handy hypocrisy has existed the place employers profit from the labor of undocumented immigrants whereas turning a blind eye to their authorized standing. This new coverage seeks to rectify this by offering a authorized framework for these employees, guaranteeing they will contribute overtly and with out concern. Within the context of the continued debate over border safety, President Biden faces vital challenges. Latest actions to crack down on asylum seekers have been criticized by each side of the political spectrum. Native migrant shelter employees have reported a dramatic lower within the variety of people searching for asylum within the U.S. on account of these insurance policies. This case underscores the advanced dynamics at play, with the president caught between calls for for stricter border controls and the necessity for humane immigration reform. Addressing Criticisms of Amnesty Nonetheless, not everyone seems to be happy with the brand new coverage. Critics, primarily from the Republican Social gathering, have decried the transfer as a type of blanket amnesty. This characterization is deceptive and politically charged. The coverage shouldn't be an act of amnesty however reasonably a recognition of the realities on the bottom and a sensible method to integrating long-term residents into the material of American society. The difficulty of immigration is usually polarized, with opponents specializing in border safety and the alleged detrimental impacts of immigration. But, these views fail to acknowledge the crucial position that immigrants play within the U.S. economic system. Many of those people have been working tirelessly throughout varied industries, offering important labor that American companies depend upon. The Impression of “Parole in Place” The brand new coverage, generally known as “Parole in Place,” is probably the most vital immigration reform because the introduction of DACA by President Obama in 2012. It acknowledges the significance of offering a neater path to authorized standing for immigrants who've already demonstrated their dedication to the U.S. via their long-term residence and contributions. Arizona, particularly, stands to profit from this coverage change. The state has a rising want for a robust workforce, and the inclusion of those immigrants will assist meet that demand. This transfer shouldn't be solely a humanitarian gesture but additionally a sensible one which helps the financial wants of the area. Advantages for Households and the Financial system It’s essential to acknowledge that the

spouses and youngsters of U.S. residents already qualify for authorized standing. The numerous change now could be that they now not have to go away the nation whereas their purposes are processed. This adjustment is essential because it retains households collectively and gives stability for many who have already established their lives within the U.S. The broader implications of this coverage shift are vital. By permitting these immigrants to work legally, the U.S. can guarantee a gentle stream of contributions to the economic system. Senior residents, particularly, ought to welcome this transfer, because it helps maintain the workforce that helps Social Safety and different important packages. Conclusion In conclusion, President Biden’s new immigration coverage is a practical method to a fancy difficulty. It acknowledges the contributions of immigrants, gives a pathway to authorized standing, and helps the U.S. economic system. Whereas critics might label it as amnesty, it's, in actuality, a vital and humane reform that advantages all Individuals. This coverage underscores the significance of integrating immigrants into the authorized framework, permitting them to proceed fueling the economic system and contributing to the nation’s prosperity. The submit Immigrants: The Lifeblood of the U.S. Financial system appeared first on Vamonde. [ad_2] Supply hyperlink

[mariacallous]

Eighty-one civil society organisations on Tuesday called on MEPs ahead of a final parliamentary committee vote to reject the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, describing the proposed legislation as harmful and a violation of fundamental rights.

“We, the undersigned, call on MEPs to reject the Pact in the upcoming LIBE [parliamentary committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs] vote. It creates a system whereby the right to seek asylum in the EU is severely threatened and will engender a proliferation of human rights violations against people across Europe due to their migration status,” the joint letter said.

“The agreement is a continuation of a decade of policy that has led to the proliferation of rights violations in Europe,” it added.

The Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee vote is due to be held on Wednesday. If it passes, the legislation will then go to MEPs for approval.

EU countries have been pushing hard to establish new legislation to stem the flow of migrants into Europe, mostly from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

A political agreement was reached in December to introduce the Pact on Migration and Asylum despite warnings from over 50 civil society organisations that it could violate human rights.

The legislation addresses the screening of irregular migrants when they arrive in the EU, procedures for handling asylum applications, rules on determining which EU country is responsible for handling applications, and strategies for handling crises.

Under the proposed system, countries will have to choose between accepting a minimum of 30,000 asylum applicants a year or paying at least 20,000 euros per asylum applicant into a joint EU fund.

The new system will seek to differentiate between people who are in need of international protection and those who are not.

Various civil society organisation leaders have condemned the legislation and called on MEPs to vote against it, arguing that it would contravene the EU’s values.

“Last December’s political agreement on the EU Migration Pact was a blow to the human rights of migrants. Its validation by MEPs would mean a failure to uphold EU values of human dignity, freedom and equality,” said Michele LeVoy, director of the Platform for International Cooperation of Undocumented Migrants.

Isabelle Chopin, director of the Migration Policy Group said that the pact, if adopted as it stands now, “would violate European fundamental principles of human rights and equality”

“It would also allow for more discrimination, vulnerability and endanger our democratic values. Instead of providing for more restrictive asylum procedures and policies, MEPs should request the adoption and implementation of safer and legal pathways [to Europe],” Chopin said.

[internetflea]

A Land Ruled by Migrants

Immigration has been a trending issue over the past couple weeks. Countries like Venezuela, Ukraine, Haiti, and Peru facing national turmoil in their lands, they have no choice but to migrate to another country with better living conditions than their home. 

This is not the first time: U.S. legislation has been avoiding these issues for decades. We are all not given the same opportunity as others, but officials should not stop law abiding migrants from those opportunities because of a person not originating from the country’s background. 

While the United States are avoiding reform, it can benefit the country in many ways; adding to the annual Gross Domestic Product, increased national security, and contributes to innovation. 

Immigrants are innovators, job creators, and consumers with an enormous spending power that drives our economy and creates employment opportunities for all Americans. Immigrants added $2 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2016 and $458.7 billion to state, local, and federal taxes in 2018. Pethokoukis states: “First, there is a labor market impact. More immigrants mean more hours worked in the economy. Immigration also often boosts labor supply by increasing female labor force participation via the mechanism of substantially reduced costs in care services.”

 Additionally, these tax contributions would increase crucially if all undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States were granted a pathway to citizenship as part of a comprehensive immigration reform. If undocumented immigrants were deported in high numbers, state and local revenues could take a substantial hit. 

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration

 https://www.aei.org/economics/how-immigration-boosts-american-economic-growth-and-innovation/

The issue we have at the border is that the nation’s concern of security is in mind, our port of entrances must be secure before officials can make Immigration reform statues result. In 2013, Diana Furchtgott-Roth wrote an article titled 4 benefits of immigration reform, Furchtgott-Roth writes “By offering a path to legal status to the 11 million undocumented workers in the United States and giving provisional visas to those who pass background checks, America can increase its national security.” 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/4-benefits-of-immigration-reform-2013-08-16

Not to mention the new perspectives we are offered from the foreigners. In the most prominent fields that leads in education globally, immigrants are proven to provide innovation in many industries. Knowledge, entrepreneurship, and technology are the driving forces of a dynamic economy. Two reliable ways to generate ideas and innovation in an economy are to increase the number of highly educated workers and introduce diversity into the workplace.

https://www.fwd.us/news/immigration-facts-the-positive-economic-impact-of-immigration/

[carlosmorenophotoblog]

Recently the United States Supreme Court limited the pathway for permanent U.S. residency for any foreign national with temporary immigration protections; closing a way forward for some migrants who have been granted green cards in the last years. The Court ruled unanimously that those granted Temporary Protection Status (TPS)—which gives deportation relief for migrants in countries in crisis and work permits to get jobs in the U.S.—does not constitute legal admission to the U.S., a provisional requirement for some to become permanent residents. Those individuals, The Court stated, who crossed undocumented through the U.S.-Mexico border but were granted protections for victims of crime were the exception and are allowed later to become residents; however that does not apply for the roughly 400,000 plus recipients of those living in the country with TPS. — Last month the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had designated foreign nationals like Haitians already in the U.S. to be able to apply for TPS but anyone after last month’s sudden announcement by the Biden Administration will not qualify—which includes Haitians and other countries facing dangers in their places of origin waiting at the border—like Central Americans; Salvadorians (who are being considered for an extension to their status by 2022), and from other twelve nations around the world who qualify for the TPS designation. — Migrants who do no qualify for TPS will and are still in limbo, waiting for new immigration policy changes and perhaps an opportunity to make their case to enter the United States, as many have patiently taken up residence for months and even years now in the city of Tijuana, Mexico. — #archive #photojournalism #fotoperiodismo #documentaryphotography #migration #TPS #tijuana #tijuanamexico #usmexicoborder #portrait #portraitphotography #retrato #environmentalportrait #mexico #everydaysocialjustice #everydaylatinamerica #everdayeverywhere #everydaymexico #everydayusa #everydaymigration #reportagespotlight #everydaylafrontera (at Tijuana B.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP82J3xrmP7/?utm_medium=tumblr

[dipulb3]

House to take up immigration bills amid influx of migrants crossing US-Mexico border

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/house-to-take-up-immigration-bills-amid-influx-of-migrants-crossing-us-mexico-border/

House to take up immigration bills amid influx of migrants crossing US-Mexico border

The House will vote on H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California. It would provide a pathway to citizenship for the young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers” as well as for Temporary Protected Status recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. The legislation stands to make up to 4.4 million individuals eligible for permanent residence, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

The House is also slated to vote on H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation from Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California and Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington. The bill would permit farm workers, and their spouses and children, to earn legal status through continued employment in the agricultural sector, and would make changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program.

“This is a very special day for us,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of the vote. “We are making a very big difference in how we respect the beautiful diversity of America, how we respect the fact that immigration is the constant reinvigoration of America.”

Both of these bills have already been passed by the House in previous years but are being voted on again with Democrats holding slim majorities in the House and Senate. They’re both expected to pass the House again but hit a wall in the Senate.

The chances of these bills getting enough Republican support to reach 60 votes in the Senate is very low, renewing debate among Democrats about ending the filibuster. That would allow legislation to pass with a lower vote threshold, but also appears unlikely to happen.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said ahead of the votes, “the House will send a clear message that we believe in a just, rational and humane immigration system. I hope that our Senate colleagues will hear us on the other side of the Capitol and will take similar action.”

Democrats are facing increasing scrutiny over their handling of immigration amid a recent surge in border crossings that Republicans have argued is a serious crisis.

House Republicans have been hitting the Biden administration on the influx of migrants crossing the border in recent weeks, including the large increase in unaccompanied minors making the trek into the United States.

Many of those migrants crossing the border have said they believe the Biden administration will be more welcoming than the Trump administration, which had adopted a more hardline posture.

“It’s more than a crisis. This is a human heartbreak,” House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy said at a news briefing on a trip to the border this week. “The sad part about all this, it didn’t have to happen. This crisis is created by the presidential policies of this new administration. There’s no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis.”

The push to pass these two bills will give House Democrats an opportunity to say they are working to advance immigration reforms, but questions remain over the fate of broader efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system.

And while some progressive Democrats would have liked to see comprehensive immigration reform legislation rather than these two piecemeal bills, other Democrats have thrown cold water on the idea, underscoring how much of an uphill climb it would be to pass a broader immigration package.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin told Appradab earlier this week that he doesn’t believe there’s enough support in this Congress to pass a full-blown immigration bill with a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, a key pillar of Biden’s immigration plan.

“I don’t see a means for reaching that,” the Illinois Democrat said. “I want it. I think we are much more likely to deal with discrete elements.”

Weighing in on the House effort to move immigration bills, Durbin said, “I think Speaker Pelosi has discovered that she doesn’t have support for the comprehensive bill in the House,” Durbin said. “And it indicates where it is in the Senate as well.”

On Thursday, Appradab asked Raul Ruiz, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, about Durbin’s comments.

“There’s different multiple routes that we are going to advocate for. We can advocate it through the budget reconciliation process,” he said.

When asked if budget reconciliation is possible for an immigration bill, Ruiz responded there’s “political will” to do so.

“I think that there is political will and so, you know, that’s, that’s a different route, whether … it’s a possibility I think we’ll have to wait and see, but I think it’s a route we’re going to be advocating for,” he responded.

This story has been updated with additional developments Thursday.

Appradab’s Manu Raju contributed to this report.

[go-redgirl]

Kevin McCarthy challenges Joe Biden to visit border as he slams crisisEmily Goodin, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com  2 hrs ago

Meanwhile, the White House still refuses to call the thousands of migrant children being held - some without beds or enough food - a 'crisis,' but press secretary Jen Psaki did say it is a 'big problem.'

She also blamed Donald Trump's administration for leaving the border a mess.

'We recognize this is a big problem. The last administration left us a dismantled and unworkable system, and like any other problem, we're going to do everything we can to solve it,' she said.

McCarthy, meanwhile, blamed Biden's executive orders lifting some of Trump's stricter immigration policies for the surge in immigration.

Pressure is increasing on the administration to fix the border in what is rapidly becoming a crisis for the Biden White House.

'It's more than a crisis. This is a human heartbreak,' McCarthy told reporters after he and a group of GOP  lawmakers who visited a detention center. 'The sad part about that is this didn't have to happen. This crisis is created by the presidential policies of this new administration.'

'I know the president's going to travel this week. This is where he should bring Air Force,' McCarthy said. 'This is where he should look the people in the eye. This is where he should talk to the border agents, and let them know that this is beyond a crisis.'

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Eduardo Silva said Republicans need to present their own solution and he called the trip a 'political stunt.'

'Republicans for years - including the last four years - did nothing to help with the nation's immigration issues. Unless Republicans come back from the border with a commitment to helping President Biden solve the problem, this visit is nothing more than a political stunt,' he said.

© Provided by Daily Mail House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy challenged President Joe Biden to come to border and see situation for himself

© Provided by Daily Mail House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy led a group of Republican lawmakers to see a border facility in El Paso, Texas

Psaki was asked multiple times if the president would consider a trip to the border. Biden is scheduled to go to Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Georgia on Friday to out his COVID bailout package.

'I don't have any trips to preview at this point in time,' she said during her White House press briefing.

She said Biden's focus 'is on developing solutions, pushing his team, encouraging his team to develop solutions that will expedite processing at the border, that will open more facilities that will ensure kids are treated with humanity and also treated safely. And that's his focus, and so that's where he's putting his efforts on immigration.'

The administration is struggling to house a surge of migrant children as they work to process the minors so the children can be transferred to Department of Health and Human Services shelters where they would stay until they could be united with family members already in the U.S. or with a sponsor.

The children are supposed to be transferred to DHS within three days of being caught by border agents.

Border agents are apprehending more than 400 children a day, however, which is many more than the number of children that HHS is processing and releasing to sponsors.

Video: David Bossie: Biden's border crisis – here's what it should mean for his 'immigration reform' plans (FOX News)

Play Video

David Bossie: Biden's border crisis – here's what it should mean for his 'immigration reform' plansClick to expand

And more than 4,200 kids are being held in jail-like stations unfit to house them, according to government records reviewed by CBS News, with 3,000 held past the legal limit.

Additionally the administration is looking at using The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas to house migrants as they run out of space, the Associated Press reported. The center is estimated to be able to hold 3,000 children.

© Provided by Daily Mail Migrant children and teenagers from the southern border of the United States being held a temporary facility in Midland, Texas

© Provided by Daily Mail Intensive care tents sit in a row at a Influx Care Facility (ICF) for unaccompanied children in Carrizo Springs, Texas, where another temporary shelter has been built

A tent facility operated by the Custom and Border Patrol in Donna, Texas - some 165 miles south of Dallas - is holding more than 1,000 children and teenagers, some as young as 4. Many of the shelters are beyond capacity for taking more kids.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said the facilities are 'no place for a child.'

Media is not being allowed inside the shelters but lawyers are. Some of the attorneys told CBS News that the children told them they are hungry; only showering once in as many as seven days; and are not able to call family members.

Psaki said the situation was 'heartbreaking' for the kids but there were not a lot of options.

'This is heartbreaking. It's a very emotional issue for a lot of people, and it's very difficult and challenging. And obviously, these CBP facilities are not made for kids,' she said.

'It's not acceptable, but I think the challenge here is that there are only there are not that many options,' she said. 'The options here are send the kids back on the journey, send them to unvetted homes or work to expedite moving them into shelters where they can get health treatment by medical doctors, by educational resources, legal counseling, mental health counseling. That's exactly what we're focused on doing.'

But the administration has argued it needs its nominee to led DHS - Xavier Becerra - confirmed to help manage the situation. Biden, however, has yet to name nominees to lead CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leaving those agencies without top leadership.

Meanwhile, a new center was opened in Midland, Texas, on Sunday to help alleviate the overcrowding caused by the record number of migrants. A shelter also was recently opened in Carrizo Springs, Texas.

The Biden administration also directed the shelters to return to normal capacity, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, social distancing and other health protocols were in place to combat the disease.

Biden lifted the Trump policy that required migrants to remain in Mexico while going through the legal process to enter the U.S., narrowed the ICE's criteria for arrests and deportations and stopped the building of Trump's border wall.

Agroup of people in a room: Migrant children and teenagers at the facility in Midland, TexasNext Slide

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1/3 SLIDES © Provided by Daily Mail

In what was seen as a nod to the growing gravity of the situation, Biden administration officials announced over the weekend that FEMA will help process the influx of children coming into the country.

'Our goal is to ensure that unaccompanied children are transferred to HHS as quickly as possible, consistent with legal requirements and in the best interest of the children,' Mayorkas said in a statement.

And ICE has asked for volunteers to help at the border.  

Meanwhile, the House will vote this week on two bills aimed at tackling the immigration crisis: The American Dream and Promise Act would establish a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children - known as the 'Dreamers' - while the Farm Workforce Modernization Act would allow agricultural workers to establish temporary status with an eventual option to become a permanent resident.

Last month, 100,000 migrants were caught trying to cross the southern border -  up 30 percent from January.

And numbers are continuing to increase this month, with 125,000 migrants expected to arrive along the border in March, according to current data.

That is the highest number in years - and officials fear the figure will soar even further throughout the spring.

[socialjusticeartshare]

Biden committed to limiting deportations and overturning Trump border policies, advisers say

President-elect Joe Biden is planning to follow through on campaign pledges to implement a 100-day freeze on deportations, limit immigration arrests and overturn some of the Trump administration's controversial border restrictions for asylum-seekers, transition officials said Tuesday.

The seismic changes in immigration policy — especially for asylum programs along the U.S.-Mexico border — will take time and will not be carried out immediately, given the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, the advisers cautioned.

During a call with reporters Tuesday, Biden transition officials, who requested anonymity to speak freely, confirmed that the incoming administration plans to gradually end the "Remain in Mexico" and safe-third-country asylum programs, which collectively allow U.S. border officials to bounce migrants off American soil and either have them wait in Mexico for their court hearings or instruct them to request refuge in Central American countries.

"This is an area of policy-making where there has been grave damage done by the current administration. They have created chaos. They've even weaponized the immigration system to separate children from their families," one of the transition advisers said.

"Rebuilding these processes is going to be a significant task. It is a priority for the incoming administration — and they will begin on Day One," the person added. 

The officials confirmed a CBS News report from November that outlined Mr. Biden's plans to undo many of Mr. Trump's hard-line immigration policies, which have also included broad restrictions on green cards and pandemic-era limits on legal immigration. 

Most of Mr. Trump's legacy on immigration was built through presidential decrees, policy memos, regulations and other executive actions, rendering it vulnerable to Mr. Biden's starkly different vision on the issue. 

While Mr. Trump's policies are gradually terminated, the transition officials said the incoming Biden administration will start processing asylum claims at border ports of entry, focusing on reviewing the cases of the "most vulnerable." The officials said nongovernmental organizations will be involved in this effort.

Mr. Biden's advisers did not address the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order the Trump administration has been using during the pandemic to expel border-crossers, including asylum-seekers, with little to no due process. Before Election Day, Mr. Biden's campaign told CBS News he would direct the CDC to review the policy, which has been challenged in court, to ensure migrants can have their asylum requests reviewed.

More broadly, the officials said they will task asylum officers, rather than immigration judges, to review asylum petitions, in order to reduce the historic immigration court case backlog. Mr. Trump's asylum restrictions for victims of gang and domestic violence will be rescinded, the advisers said. 

The overall objective, according to the officials, is to create a more "efficient" and "humane" asylum system.

During a separate interview with the Spanish news wire agency EFE published Monday, Mr. Biden's incoming domestic policy and national security advisors, Susan Rice and Jake Sullivan, said that overturning Mr. Trump's network of asylum restrictions will take "months." 

Sullivan and Rice urged would-be migrants in Central America to avoid the perilous trek north, and maintained that Mr. Biden will dispatch aid to the region to alleviate some of the root causes of migration, which include violence and poverty.

"Migrants and asylum-seekers absolutely should not believe those in the region peddling the idea that the border will suddenly be fully open to process everyone on Day 1. It will not," Rice told EFE.

A transition official on Tuesday said the implementation details for the deportation moratorium are still being worked out. Asked by CBS News about new guidelines for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the adviser said the Biden administration will have a "sensible approach" to immigration arrests, noting that further details are being discussed. 

During President Barack Obama's tenure, ICE issued guidance instructing agents to focus on arresting and deporting immigrants with criminal convictions, recent border-crossers and those who entered the country illegally more than once, but those limits were scrapped by Mr. Trump soon after he took office.

The Biden officials added that they will explore alternatives to holding people in civil immigration detention, including by reviving and expanding case management programs designed to ensure immigrants attend their court hearings.

Mr. Trump's "travel ban" restrictions on 13 countries, most of them African or majority Muslim, will also be revoked, according to the transition officials. The incoming administration also intends to set up a task force to locate migrant families who were separated by U.S. border officials in 2017 and 2018 and who have yet to be reached.

Mr. Biden has vowed to protect young undocumented adults known as "Dreamers" enrolled in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program from deportation. He's also promised to work with Congress to place them and other undocumented immigrants in the U.S. on a pathway to U.S. citizenship — a pledge that could prove difficult to fulfill if Congress remains divided.

Article Source

[antoine-roquentin]

In court challenges in California and elsewhere, the ACLU and other opponents of the changes had argued the restrictions were a wholesale immigration policy change, dressed up as simply a regulatory tweak. They argued the changes clearly violated the Refugee Act of 1980, which allows people who arrive on U.S. soil to claim asylum and to argue they have a “credible fear” that harm will befall them if they are returned to their home countries. The 1980 Act was, in part, intended to prevent the U.S. falling afoul of international law and of the United Nations convention by expelling people back into harm’s way. They also argued that, in the way it implemented the new rules, the administration had run afoul of the Administrative Procedures Act.

The Supreme Court didn’t rule on the merits of these arguments. Instead, the court’s conservative majority simply decided to give the administration leeway to start implementing the new rules immediately while they were still being challenged in the courts. It was all-too-reminiscent of another decision, from earlier in the summer, when the court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed construction on the border wall to begin, using funds seized by Trump under his national emergency declaration, while the legal challenges were still underway.

On the most obvious level, the ruling means that unless and until the courts ultimately find that the content of the new regulations, as well as the way they were implemented, violate existing laws, the southern border has now been effectively shut to asylum seekers from anywhere other than Mexico.

The consequences will be far-reaching, and extraordinarily damaging both to the lives of individuals no longer granted asylum and also to what remains of the global reputation of the United States. Already overflowing refugee camps in Mexican border towns that house tens of thousands of migrants from around the world will become even more crowded. These are camps lacking access to clean water, to toilets and showers, to reliable supplies of food. Stories coming out of these camps portray utterly stark, barren, living conditions — and those conditions will now likely deteriorate further, leaving the residents ever more vulnerable to gangs, to human traffickers, to kidnappings, and so on.

Mexico — which is already hosting huge numbers of Central American migrants, as well as would-be-asylum-seekers from around the globe who headed to Mexico on the way to the United States, only to get stuck in the country as Trump’s lockdown of the border intensified — will face tremendous social and political pressure from its own populace to further militarize its southern border so as to bottle up the flow of desperate migrants before they leave Central America.

As Todd Miller writes in his powerful new book, Empire of Borders, U.S. border policy and enforcement is now so coercive and so all-powerful that it shapes and reshapes policies of countries not just along the U.S. border but ever further afield. And, Chiapas, in the impoverished south of Mexico, now becomes even more of a front line in the efforts to lock desperate migrants out of accessing the First World.

Moreover, the Supreme Court’s decision means that the huge numbers of people who entered the United States from Mexico and filed asylum claims in the period after the regulatory change was issued in July but before the Supreme Court allowed its provisions to kick in, will now be subject to summary deportation — not just across the border into Mexico, but back to the home countries from which they fled, oftentimes in fear for their lives. Immigration attorneys from the ACLU told me they fear that many tens of thousands could be at risk of being immediately returned to their homelands.

As for those who entered the U.S., claimed asylum and were then returned to camps in Mexico while they awaited their court hearings, they now face the extraordinary situation of being deportable back to their home countries if they set foot on U.S. soil to attend their court hearings.

None of this, of course, will stop migration. Desperate people with no access to food, water and housing for their families in their home countries, as well as people fleeing gang violence, the ravages of climate change, narco-governments and collapsed economies, will still head north. They will do so next month for the exact same reasons they did so last month — because they have concluded that their families’ survival depends upon it. Except, instead of trying to follow the legal process and file asylum claims, they will be driven in ever-greater numbers to hire smugglers, coyotes, to transit them through the most remote and deadly stretches of the desert and into the United States. Instead of seeking a legal status that would, if the system eventually granted them asylum, allow them to live, work and gain a pathway to eventual citizenship in the United States, they will be forced into the shadows, further swelling the ranks of the undocumented and the exploited.

This is a policy, upheld for now by Supreme Court imprimatur, that is tailor-made to enrich smuggling networks and employers who subject undocumented immigrants to abusive, exploitative conditions.

And now that the Supreme Court has sided with the administration, the effects could well be felt across an array of other dramatic policy shifts, both emboldening the Trump administration to seek ever-more ghastly policy changes via executive action and regulatory changes, and also sending a signal that already published rule changes are likely to be given the benefit of the doubt by the Supreme Court. Over the last few months, the administration has unveiled a slew of regulatory changes intended to utterly rewrite U.S. immigration policy without the input of Congress and in the face of overwhelming opposition from those who have offered public comments. For example, the new Public Charge regulations published by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deny access to benefits programs to legal immigrants and their families. Proposed changes put forward by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would result in the eviction of more than 100,000 people, all members of mixed-status families, from public housing and Section 8 housing. And new regulations published a couple of weeks ago aim to shred the Flores settlement, which limits how long immigrant children can be detained for, and instead allow for the indefinite detention of immigrant families in concentration camp-like facilities.

[politijohn]

Bernie 2020 - Immigration Reform

Put a moratorium on deportations until a thorough audit of current and past practices and policies is complete

Stop all construction of the racist and ineffective wall on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Instead, rely on cost-effective and innovative methods to counter the real threats of drug importation and human trafficking

Overturn President Trump’s racist and disgusting Muslim ban and instruct DOJ to drop litigation or funding restrictions relating to sanctuary cities

End President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico,” metering, and “Safe Third Country” policies and allow asylum seekers to make their claims in the United States, to qualified asylum officials, pursuant to international law

Reverse President Trump’s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status agreements

End President Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy and Operation Streamline, returning to the long-time standard of handling border crossings through civil proceedings

End for-profit detention and connect detainees with sponsors/support

Reverse DOJ guidance to deny asylum claims on the basis of fleeing domestic or gang violence, including those targeted for their sexual orientation or gender identity

Rescind any proposed rules that deny public housing to families with an undocumented member

Rescind President Trump’s so-called “public charge” rule to ensure our system does not discriminate on the basis of income or disability and that immigrants do not have to fear endangering their immigration status in order to access basic supports and services

Ensure all children who were separated from their families by the U.S. government are reunited swiftly

Convene a hemispheric summit with leaders in Latin America who are experiencing migration crises. Develop actionable plan to stabilize region

Immediately extend legal status to the 1.8 million young people currently eligible for the DACA program, and provide administrative relief to their parents, those with Temporary Protected Status, and parents of legal permanent residents

Use executive authority to allow undocumented immigrants who have resided in the US for 5+ years to stay here free from threat of deportation

Use advance parole to reunite families that have been ripped apart by deportation policies and provide for

Expand parole in place and use hardship waivers to remove barriers to green cards and citizenship

Push Congress to enact a swift, fair pathway to citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently living, working, and contributing in America today

Prioritize expedited citizenship for undocumented youth

Ensure any path to citizenship does not come with a reduction in traditional, family-based visas

Repeal 8 U.S. Code Section 1325, putting border crossings on par with other forms of immigration violations, such as overstaying a visa

End the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), the 287(g) program, Secure Communities, the Criminal Alien Program and other programs that turn local law enforcement into immigration officers

Repeal the 1996 immigration laws (Repeal 3- and 10-year bars, end permanent deportation, end expedited removal ,end mandatory detention, restore case-by-case discretion for immigration judges, restore the definition of “aggravated felony” to its initial intent, violent crimes and serious drug trafficking, end the “Constitution-free zone” within 100 miles of the border)

Establish immigration courts as independent Article I courts, free from influence and interference

End detention for families, children, and immigrants without a violent crime conviction

Authorize and fund community-based alternatives to detention, which will connect immigrants with health, legal, educational, and work resources

Ensure any shelters necessary to provide temporary housing for immigrants meet humane, 21st century living standards

Ensure justice and due process for immigrants, including the right to counsel and an end to cash bail

End the targeting, surveillance, and prosecution of migrant justice activists and those providing humanitarian and legal aid at the border

Break up ICE and CBP and redistribute their functions

Refocus border enforcement on stemming the flow of firearms drugs at ports of entry that have contributed to the opioid epidemic, ensuring that labor standards on the border are enforced, and stopping human trafficking

Expand DOJ official guidance on profiling to apply at and in the vicinity of the border to stop immigration enforcement officials from profiling on the basis of national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity, in addition to race and ethnicity

Ensure schools, places of worship, medical facilities, courthouses and other sensitive areas are exempted from immigration targeting and enforcement

End the use of DNA testing and facial recognition technology for immigration and border enforcement

Establish a whistleblower visa to protect immigrant workers who report exploitative and illegal actions by employers

Restructure work visas to make them portable and do not trap immigrant workers at a single workplace, are self-petitioning to protect workers from unscrupulous “recruiters,” allow spouses to work, raise prevailing wage, and include a pathway to citizenship for seasonal workers

Withhold federal contracts for employers found exploiting guest workers

End workplace raids and shift the focus of enforcement from workers to employers who mistreat their workforce

Strengthen labor protections for farmworkers, domestic workers, gig economy workers and other historically under-regulated industries that rely heavily on immigrant and undocumented workforces

Negotiate trade deals that strengthen, not undermine, the rights of workers in the U.S. and abroad, and oppose any new agreement that do not meet adequate labor standards

Restore and increase aid to Central and South American nations, work to strengthen human rights, and fund programs to curb corruption, political repression, violence, and poverty

Lift President Trump’s refugee caps and live up to our nation’s ideals and international law by welcoming those displaced from their homes

Create a new program to welcome migrants displaced by climate change, and set a floor of accepting at least 50,000 climate migrants during year 1 in office

Enact Medicare for All, which will address racial and other disparities in health care and provide comprehensive care to everyone in America, regardless of immigration status

Enact College for All, which will make public colleges and universities tuition and debt free to all regardless of immigration status, and provide first-generation and minority students supports and services needed to end equity gaps in higher education attainment

Ensure immigrant children and their parents are free from harassment and surveillance at school, regardless of their immigration status

Increase access to English as a Second Language instruction

Build on the Strength in Diversity Act to increase, not cut, federal funding for community-driven strategies to desegregate schools

Triple Title I funding to ensure at-risk schools get the funding they need and end funding penalties for schools that attempt to desegregate

Provide year-round, free universal school meals; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks through a school meals programs to all students regardless of immigration status

Address disciplinary practices in schools that disproportionately affect Black and Brown children

Pass a permanent repeal of the public charge statute, so we do not penalize immigrants who at some point may need to access support programs such as TANF or SSI

Pass the Embrace Act introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to ensure immigrants get the assistance they need

Ensure customs and immigration agencies have the funding and personnel necessary to eliminate the backlog of pending applications and cut wait times for immigration applications

Work with Congress to provide funding to swiftly unify families stuck in pending backlogs

Provide funding for outreach, integration, and naturalization programs

Protect and expand family-based visas, cut waiting times and backlogs

Overhaul and streamline the visa system to reduce errors and costs and eliminate burdensome fees

Eliminate discrimination facing LGBTQ+ families throughout immigration laws, including making sure that all children born to U.S. citizen parents have acquired citizenship, regardless of a biological relationship

Direct the newly created National Office of Disability Coordination to work with agencies to ensure the immigration and citizenship process is fully accessible to people with disabilities

Issues List

[arcticdementor]

WASHINGTON -- Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said there is a "migrant crisis" on the U.S.-Mexico border that needs to be addressed.

…

Yang has said he supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but his immigration reform plan would "reflect the fact that these individuals tried to circumvent our legal immigration system." During a CNN town hall on Sunday evening, Yang was asked to elaborate on his statement.

"We have well over 12 million undocumented immigrants here in this country and to me, the most logical and humane path forward is to create a pathway to citizenship for people who are here and undocumented, particularly for the DREAMers who've really known no other home but the United States of America," Yang said.

…

Yang was also asked how he would deter illegal immigration as president.

"Well, so right now we have a migrant crisis on the southern border and it's, in part, because the composition of the people who are showing up at the border is changing, where now it's people who are applying for asylum, and unfortunately we don't have the resources to process them in any kind of effective punctual or effective way and so the waiting period is literally over a year in some cases," Yang said.

"So the basics are that we need to put more resources to work on our southern border. We need more facilities, caseworkers, asylum judges. Right now our Border Patrol is short thousands of people that they've been trying to hire for months because it's very hard for them to attract and retain people to very remote parts of this country," he added.

[oneshortdamnfuse]

The state of immigration in America has never been exclusively about “illegals.” The immigrants who support Trump because they “came here legally” need to be aware of that, just as much as American-born citizens. The “vetting” that refugees undergo before coming here is extensive, but this administration keeps restricting more and more numbers year after year from predominantly Muslim nations. Now, the rights of asylum-seekers are under threat. It keeps spiraling and spiraling, and it is bound to harm the entire immigration process.

Our local numbers have gone down from ~700-1000 resettled a year to ~100, which actually harms the infrastructure we’ve created to support “legal” migrants in America. This makes it more difficult, actually, for migrants to get a job and/or education. This administration has been separating families who came here through “legal” pathways, as restricted travel has separated many families between countries. We have international students in university whose entire education has been put on hold because of travel bans. 

It all trickles down. This isn’t just about immigrants who are undocumented. It’s about forcing everyone who doesn’t fit a particular background out, enforcing an English-only attitude, and promoting nationalism. Our country has never been a monocultural monolinguistic nation, but that is exactly what these policies will come down to at the end of the day. It is going to get to that point as long as we let it get to that point. We are seeing it in action. Before this administration, our local population of immigrants was doing okay. Now, there’s a lot of suffering.

Trump is a tyrant, and his administration has been terrorizing innocent people with their fearmongering and prejudice. They are the greatest threat to the United States. I personally do not care what you think about “illegal” immigration, especially whether or not it’s “fair” to “legal” immigrants because at the end of the day an attack on them is simply the starting point to more awful policies that will eventually and inevitably harm more and more select groups of people. It is of utmost importance that we do not let that happen.