The House of Representatives has passed President Biden's infrastructure plan, the Build Back Better bill. The bill was planned to be voted on Thursday, but an eight and a half hour continuous, rambling speech by Representative Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, delayed the vote until Friday morning; once the vote progressed, however, it passed 220 to 213 in favor. Included in the bill, along with education, healthcare, and combatting global warming, is a list of provisions for improving immigration to the United States. Although the provisions are not as extensive as many hoped for, several key points are still attached to the bill. The bill would allow any undocumented immigrants who have been in the US since before 2011 a parole status of up to 10 years, with many then being able to use that parole to apply for legal permanent residence. Another provision in the bill would reclaim expired visas, both employment and family-based, that would have otherwise gone unused. Now that the bill has passed the House, it will be sent to the Senate for further discussion and debate before it is voted on.
Source: The Hill, Politico
https://thehill.com/latino/582254-historic-immigration-reform-included-in-house-passed-spending-bill?rl=1
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/18/democrats-social-spending-cbo-522947
A memo from Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has set new guidelines for the priority of deporting non-citizens to the US. Top priority, according to the memo, goes to those who would threaten US national security through espionage or terrorism. Threats to public safety, particularly those who have committed violent crimes, are also a priority, although Secretary Mayorkas has advised discretion on the part of authorities on whether there are mitigating circumstances in the case of said crimes, or other factors influencing whether the immigrant should be removed or not; such factors can include ties to the community, military service, health conditions, and the like. The third priority category is for those that threaten border security, who have either been in the US illegally since November of 2020 or are actively caught crossing the border unlawfully; Secretary Mayorkas again advises discretion as to whether the individuals qualify as a threat or not. The memo, above all else, urges that agents consider all factors when considering whether an immigrant should be deported, and emphatically states that the enforcement processes must be free from discrimination, exploitation, and cruelty.
Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/guidelines-civilimmigrationlaw.pdf