President Biden Urges Congress to Pass Immigration Reform

In Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress, the President told Congress to pass the Immigration Reform Act of 2021. He stated if they won’t pass the Act as a whole, at minimum, the smaller bipartisan bills that Congress agrees on should be passed.

The Immigration Reform Act of 2021 proposes many updates to the U.S. immigration system, including updated visa caps, a program that supports foreign workers to work in understaffed areas, and paths to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. Included in those proposed programs are an expedited three-year path to naturalization for immigrants with temporary protected status and adults who originally came to the U.S. as undocumented individuals as children.

Biden introduced the Act 353-page bill in February, upon his inauguration as President. Since then, the bill has been not been widely supported or acted upon.

Biden promoted the resolution of citizenship for immigrants who originally arrived in the U.S. under a temporary protected status. He also encouraged a pathway for farmworkers, which is a bill that recently passed the House and creates protections for 1 million individuals.

We continue to monitor ongoing immigration reform. If you have questions about immigration, proposed changes, or your status, contact us at ILBSG. We work with you to ensure you get the right advice for your specific situation.