Immigration Efficiency and Fairness In Focus in Biden’s State of the Union

In his first State of the Union (SOTU) address, President Biden presented his perspective on immigration policy, focusing on a more efficient and fair system. Continued support for strong border controls alongside providing a path to citizenship for qualifying unauthorized immigrants was emphasized. In addition, Biden highlighted the need for faster processing for employment and family-based immigration.

Biden emphasized the call to Congress to act to pass a law providing a pathway to citizenship for noncitizens with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), unauthorized individuals brought to the U.S. as children, essential workers, and farmworkers. He emphasized the benefits to the U.S., including business’ need for workers, and the individuals’ need to be reunited with their families. In tandem, he restated the need for a change in the law to address the continued long wait and backlog of immigration application processing.

In the State of the Union speech, he also advocated for the asylum fast-track process, although counterarguments claim the current policy puts these individuals at a disadvantage due to the lack of available attorneys. Biden did not discuss providing protection to Ukrainians coming to the U.S., although over one hundred legal organizations and advocacy groups have called for support.

Congress’s lack of passing any meaningful immigration reform is at the core of the issue. Several options have been presented to Congress, with various attempts to promote passage. Unfortunately, Congress is stalled with existing proposals. Midterm elections are around the corner. 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate and all House of Representatives positions are up for election. It is unclear if Congress will move on many laws, particularly in immigration, at this time.

ILBSG continues to monitor ongoing proposed policy updates and changes. If you have questions about any immigration-related issue, contact us. We put our extensive experience and expertise to work for you to ensure you get the right advice.