Washington Post: “President-elect Joe Biden will roll out a sweeping overhaul of nation’s immigration laws the day he is inaugurated, including an eight-year pathway to citizenship for immigrants without legal status and an expansion of refugee admissions, alongside an enforcement plan that deploys technology to patrol the border.”
“Biden’s legislative proposal, which will be sent to Congress on Wednesday, also includes a heavy focus on addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, a key part of Biden’s foreign policy portfolio when he served as vice president. The centerpiece of the plan from Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris is the eight-year pathway, which would put millions of qualifying immigrants in a temporary status for five years, and then grant them a green card once they meet certain requirements such as a background check and payment of taxes. They would be able to apply for citizenship three years later. To qualify, immigrants must have been in the United States as of Jan. 1, a move meant to blunt any rush to the border. Beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – which granted key protections for so-called ‘dreamers’ – and the temporary protected status program for migrants from disaster-ravaged nations could apply for a green card immediately. The details were described by multiple transition officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.”