The Senate parliamentarian has rejected Democrats' third attempt at including immigration reform in President Biden's Build Back Better infrastructure bill. The parliamentarian rejected the first two attempts, which would have granted permanent residence to millions of immigrants, earlier in the year, with the opinion that immigration reform did not fit into the outline of what could be passed in this type of bill. The third attempt greatly lessened its scope, with a plan to give parole status and permission to live and work in the United States for up to ten years. The parliamentarian, however, has stated that this proposal falls in the same disallowed category.
Many Democrats are calling to ignore the parliamentarian's ruling or to bypass it altogether, and to include the immigration proposal in the bill regardless. However, the bill now cannot be voted on until January, and may have to undergo more changes. Furthermore, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has pulled his support for the bill, angering colleagues who cite the bill's overall good for the people of West Virginia; without Manchin's support, the Democrats would most likely not have the votes in the Senate to outweigh Republicans. At this point, there is all likelihood that the bill will not pass, with or without immigration reform.
Source: Associated Press; The Hill; Roll Call
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-environment-congress-602f28de740c46839864da55b3af100b
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/586381-democrats-mull-hardball-tactics-to-leapfrog-parliamentarian-on-immigration?rl=1
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/12/19/manchin-pulls-plug-on-build-back-better-bill/
The Department of Justice has backed out of all settlement negotiations with lawyers representing families separated at the Mexican border by the Trump administration. The lawsuits brought seek damages from the US government for the trauma and suffering that these families endured during their separation. The Biden administration and Department of Justice had been in negotiations with these parties since the beginning of President Biden's term of office, but have now pulled out completely from discussions. Immigration advocates are criticizing the move heavily, claiming that Biden has forsaken the pursuit of justice for these families in favor of pacifying Republicans, who have been outspoken against the potential settlements and had gone so far as to introduce legislation that would ban the settlements from happening. "This move is a shameful, profound betrayal of the government's responsibility to redress the harms of this heinous policy," Katharina Obser, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice program of the Women's Refugee Commission said. "While the U.S. can never undo what happened, we expected the Biden administration to engage in good faith with efforts for redress and repair the cruelty of intentionally tearing families apart inflicted unspeakable and permanent trauma on children and their parents coming to the U.S. border seeking safety."
Source: NPR; Roll Call
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1065044185/justice-department-breaks-off-talks-on-compensation-for-separated-families
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/12/16/16separatedfams/