Regardless of one’s political affiliation, it is certainly true that migration across the southwestern border is at its historical highest. This is the result of the economic shock and violence that have displaced millions of South and Central Americans who are now seeking refuge in the United States. This rapid increase has put a strain on US Border Agencies’ ability to process everyone attempting to cross over, and as a result, long wait times and bureaucratic processing issues have encouraged more migrants to enter the U.S. illegally. Certain measures have been taken to address these problems, including the introduction of a new Asylum Program Fee that all petitioners filing temporary work visa and I-140 petitions are now required to pay. Hypothetically, this should provide immigration agencies with the needed funds to process the multitude of refugees and asylum seekers more efficiently. But many feel that more needs to be done, especially regarding the large number of illegal immigrants presently in the country.
As of now, speculation over what Biden may do next includes rumors that he may expand work permits for illegal immigrants currently in the United States. Many immigration advocates are in favor of the same, and polling reports have even shown that a majority of voters in swing states support expanding work permits for undocumented immigrants, including long-term workers, farmworkers, Dreamers without DACA, and spouses of U.S. citizens. Supporters argue that the potential detention of hundreds of thousands of migrants from the US who are in the country illegally would not be a practical or logistical option. Furthermore, granting work permits to long-term immigrants living in the U.S. illegally would also ease growing pressure in U.S. cities who are seeing more migrants in higher numbers. Advocates are also in favor of expanding an existing program allowing undocumented spouses of US military service members to regularize their status to include all spouses of US citizens, as well as expanding the cancelation of removal. Currently, the program allows U.S. citizens to petition for undocumented relatives whose removal would cause citizens to suffer exceptional hardship.
The trusted Chugh, LLP immigration team will continue to monitor the changes and provide further updates as they become available. If you have any questions related to ongoing immigration updates and visa or Green Card options for yourself or family members, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our firm for a consultation today!
