Understanding The New Immigration Reform  

President Joe Biden has unveiled hefty immigration reforms — formally named the US Citizenship Act of 2021 — that would include providing an eight-year path to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented immigrants if it becomes law, as well as preserving and fortifying the DACA program. The sweeping proposal aims to reverse and revise many of former President Donald Trump’s policies.

On Tuesday, Biden signed three more executive orders about immigration. One order will create a task force led by the secretary of homeland security which will work to reunite immigrant families that were separated at the border under Trump’s administration. Biden’s second order will investigate the root humanitarian issues at the US’ southern border. The third action orders a full review of the previous administration’s immigration policies.

Biden’s administration hit the ground running on Jan. 20, mapping out how to best handle controlling COVID-19 while increasing vaccination efforts, the fallout of the Jan. 6 US Capitol riots, pushing a coronavirus relief package and more. House Democratic leadership on Monday told Politico that the upcoming coronavirus relief package will not include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented essential workers, Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status recipients.

So far, Biden has signed over 40 executive actions, undoing many of the Trump administration’s actions. These presidential directives pertain to everything from rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord to attempting to reverse the travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries.

“I’m not making new law,” Biden said Tuesday, in regards to the multiple orders he’s signed since his inauguration. “I’m eliminating bad policy.”

Here’s what you need to know about the president’s new immigration plans and how the path to naturalization would work for millions of undocumented US residents.