List of President Biden’s immigration actions so far (as of February 3, 2021):
  1. Submitted a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress on Day 1. The contents are not formally disclosed yet, but it contains a wide amnesty with a path to citizenship for certain undocumented noncitizens.
  2. Froze the last-minute regulations which Trump administration tried to pass right before the inauguration.
  3. Revoked/Eliminated Trump’s Travel Ban for majority-Muslim countries.
  4. Ordered all travelers to US to provide a negative Covid test.
  5. Revoked Trump’s executive order requiring USCIS officers to review all extension applications/petitions as a brand new application/petition each time. In other words, under Trump administration, the USCIS officers were instructed to ignore the fact that the applicant/beneficiary previously qualified and was approved for the status that he or she is now applying to extend. This instruction has now been removed by President Biden.
  6. Ordered review of immigration rules promulgated by Trump Administration, including the Public Charge rule which requires filing of the complicated and intrusive form I-944, which prejudicially disqualifies many applicants. Hopefully, and most likely, it will be eliminated soon.
  7. Established a task force to reunite the families separated at the southern border during the Trump presidency.
  8. Stopped “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers. Under, the Trump administration, asylum applicants arriving at the southern border, were forced back to Mexico during the pendency of their cases. This policy was highly criticized due to the significant hardships and risks to those asylum seekers. Now, it has been stopped. This means that, a person who arrives at the southern border and asks for protection, will be allowed to remain in the US until his or her case is considered and decided. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be released from custody, but at least they will have a right to parole or bond.
We will continue following all developments and keep you informed. For detailed information on various immigration options, please visit our website: www.islawfirm.com/immigration.
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