Within hours of his inauguration, President Joe Biden reversed several immigration policies that the Trump administration previously implemented. By the end of his first day in office, Biden had signed seventeen executive orders. Six of these policies were related to complex immigration issues. En Español
Among the orders President Biden signed was a motion to reverse Trump’s immigrant deportation initiative. This problematic statute made all of the 10.5 million undocumented people in the U.S. a deportation priority, including those protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. After reversing Trump’s immigration policies, Biden issued a memo detailing his administration’s support for DACA. This act offers deportation protection to children brought to the U.S. without legal documentation. Trump attempted to suspend DACA in 2017 but the Supreme Court blocked his motions.
Biden also extended a program that offers protection to about 4,000 Liberians living in the U.S. These individuals are now safe and can reside in the country under “Deferred Enforced Departure” (DED) status.
Furthermore, President Biden moved to halt another of Trump’s immigration directives, the construction of the U.S – Mexico border wall. Biden accomplished this by ending the national emergency declaration that Trump used to raise money and build the barrier.
Finally, President Biden ended the Trump travel ban by instructing the state department to resume visa processing for the affected countries. Biden proposed a remedy for people whose visas were denied, writing that the travel restrictions “are a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith at all.” The President firmly believes that these Trump-era immigration policies are discriminatory since they target countries with high Muslim populations.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its decision to implement a 100-day pause on deportation for immigrants residing in the U.S. The agency also decided to end the Trump administration policy that requires non-Mexican asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their U.S. court hearings. If passed, the Department of Homeland Securities’ proposed changes would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to obtain legal resident status.
If you live in Alabama or Tennessee and have questions about how the Biden administration ended many of Trump’s immigration policies, do not hesitate to contact an experienced attorney. Our team could explain how these new policies may be beneficial in your case and how these changes may impact the immigration process. For more information, call today.
