Presidential candidate Joe Biden has promised sweeping changes to President Trump’s immigration policies if the Democrat is elected this November. However, a return to Obama-era rules won’t be easy, according to immigration experts.
Analyst Sarah Pierce of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute says it’s unrealistic to believe that a Biden administration could undo all the changes made by Trump in one term. Pierce says the current administration’s impact will likely be felt for years.
Ending “cruel” policies
While President Trump says he has fixed a “broken” immigration system, human rights advocates say his methods amount to cruelty. During his time in office, the Trump administration has taken over 400 executive actions on immigration.
Those measures include restricting asylum, stricter border enforcement, rolling back Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), cutting refugee visas, reorganizing immigration courts and establishing the Remain in Mexico program.
Biden’s immigration position paper
The former vice president pledges, if he’s elected, to end the “assault on the dignity of immigrant communities.” His campaign has released a 22-page position paper filled with dozens of bullet points to roll back Trump policies and reinstall Obama-era practices. In his first 100 days in office, Biden promises to:
- Reverse the “cruel and senseless” policies that separate children from their parents
- End “detrimental” asylum policies which fuel chaos and violence at the border
- Install humanitarian resources at the border
- End prolonged detention by reimplementing case management programs
- Reverse Trump’s public charge rule over qualifying for public assistance
In addition, the Democrat says he will reinstate DACA, allowing migrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children to live and work without fear of deportation.
Restoring order to a chaotic system
Concerns exist from groups favoring stricter immigration rules that a Biden presidency could cause even more chaos by spurring a massive influx from Central America. However, immigration and humanitarian advocates as well as those seeking refuge are putting their hopes behind a Biden presidency.