There is a LOT to like about this bill. I want to highlight some of the proposed changes beyond just legalization, including:

- Ending the 3 & 10 year bars
- Curbing the "Muslim ban" authority
- Preventing "aging out" of children on nonimmigrant

Today's press release says the new bill will revoke the 1996 immigration bill's creation of 3 and 10 year bars to getting a visa for those who have been present unlawfully in the US for 6 months or over a year.

Here's @immcouncil's fact sheet on the bars: https://t.co/HgQRO49UOX
The new bill has multiple provisions designed to reduce the current green card backlogs, which for nationals of some countries like India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, can mean the process of obtaining a green card can take 20+ years (or even longer in some cases).
The bill would also create similar reforms for the employment-based immigration system, where backlogs are even worse. Under the current system, some Indian nationals seeking a green card are predicted to have a 100+ year wait for a visa! The new bill would do a lot to fix that.
This particular provision would be a welcome change for thousands of people who grow up in the United States as a "derivative" on their parents' nonimmigrant work visas.

Under current laws, they have to leave the US when they turn 21 (if they can't get another visa).
By incorporating the NO BAN ACT the bill would eliminate the law that allowed Trump to impose the Muslim Ban and replace it with a provision that requires consultation with Congress, specific factual findings, can only be used for a narrow list of topics, and can't be indefinite.
However, not everything in the bill goes as far as advocates will like. For instance, we have long been calling for the creation of an independent immigration court system, uncoupled from DOJ. This bill doesn't contain that recommendation. But it does make some important reforms.
One major change the bill would make to immigration court is to require the government to provide counsel for children.

Under current law, a 5-year-old can legally face an immigration judge without a lawyer.

Under the new bill, that wouldn't be allowed. It's a welcome change!
Another change I like in the immigration court section? Restoring discretion to immigration judges so that everyone can ask for a second chance to remain in the United States.

Congress got rid of a version of that authority in 1996 and it did enormous damage.
The bill would also make some vital changes to the asylum system, including repealing the one year filing deadline (also introduced in 1996) and authorizing funding to reduce the 300,000+ affirmative asylum backlog at USCIS.

I wish it did more on substantive asylum law, though.
The bill's increasing of the U visa numbers from 10,000 to 30,000 is welcoming, though with the current backlog over 100,000 it would still make people wait for years... but with the more generous legalization provisions, the backlog would probably be eliminated anyway.
One major portion of the bill is designed to address the root causes of migration.

Under Trump, the focus was almost entirely on hardening the border to stop people from getting in. This bill (which mirrors legislation previously introduced in the House) focuses on push factors.
While the bill introduced today contains no new funding for immigration enforcement (a welcome move given how much money has been wasted on that over the last decade), it does expand criminal penalties for smuggling & trafficking.

Personally, not a fan of any "tough on crime."
When it comes to changes to the border, I think many advocates will wish the bill could have gone further. E.g. we get welcome changes like the creation of a Border Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee but no substantive changes to the DHS Secretary's authority to waive laws.
The Biden bill does increase border enforcement in this section, primarily at ports of entry—where over 90% of all drugs are smuggled into the US.

A lot of this is what has been deemed "smart enforcement," though privacy advocates have raised serious concerns about surveillance.
One thing the Biden bill would do which has received little attention is beef up protections for migrant workers, who are often exploited by their employers in really terrible ways.

For example, the bill would block ICE from deporting someone while DOL was investigating abuses.
Finally, there's the thing I mentioned in the first tweet has already gotten a ton of attention.

This is a bold plan to provide a path to status to ALL undocumented immigrants, not just a favored few.

An earned path to citizenship is overwhelmingly popular. I hope we get it.
As @immcouncil's Policy Director @JorgeLoweree said in our statement today, "President Biden's new vision for immigration reform is extraordinary and a welcome development for America."

Now it's up to Congress.

Read our statement on the bill here:
https://t.co/DJ16zkFbXp

More from Aaron Reichlin-Melnick

We finally have the U.S. Citizenship Act Bill Text! I'm going to go through some portions of the bill right now and highlight some of the major changes and improvements that it would make to our immigration system.

Thread:


First the Bill makes a series of promises changes to the way we talk about immigrants and immigration law.

Gone would be the term "alien" and in its place is "noncitizen."

Also gone would be the term "alienage," replaced with "noncitizenship."


Now we get to the "earned path to citizenship" for all undocumented immigrants present in the United States on January 1, 2021.

Under this bill, anyone who satisfies the eligibility criteria for a new "lawful prospective immigrant status" can come out of the shadows.


So, what are the eligibility criteria for becoming a "lawful prospective immigrant status"? Those are in a new INA 245G and include:

- Payment of the appropriate fees
- Continuous presence after January 1, 2021
- Not having certain criminal record (but there's a waiver)


After a person has been in "lawful prospective immigrant status" for at least 5 years, they can apply for a green card, so long as they still pass background checks and have paid back any taxes they are required to do so by law.

However! Some groups don't have to wait 5 years.

More from Government

Canada is failing to act on Climate Change. @wef @WorldBank @IMFNews @IPCC_CH @UNDPGAIN @AntiCorruptIntl @Pontifex @JustinWelby @OCCRP @StopCorpAbuse @TaxJusticeNet @FairTaxCanada @ecojustice_ca @WCELaw @CanEnvLawAssn @envirodefence @IBA_Canada #cdnpoli


Covid recovery money is going to the oligarchy.

Ottawa and the provinces have put very little on the table to help clean-tech companies directly during Covid 19 while targeting fossil-fuel producers with more than $16 billion in aid.

Coast to coast people have demanded treaties be honored. We demanded climate action, divestment and land back but Canada is not listening. This video shows 10 years of rallies in Waterloo Ontario. City & regional council declared a climate emergency. 🚨

The Bank of China (BOC), SNC-Lavalin and WE Charity were recipients of taxpayer-funded the Covid 19 Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
Long thread: Because I couldn’t find anything comprehensive, I’m just going to post everything I’ve seen in the news/Twitter about Trump’s activities related to the Jan 6th insurrection. I think the timing & context of his actions/inactions will matter a lot for a senate trial.

12/12: The earlier DC protest over the electoral college vote during clearly inspired Jan 6th. On Dec 12th, he tweeted: “Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA.”


12/19: Trump announces the Jan. 6th event by tweeting, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Immediately, insurrectionists begin to discuss the “Wild Protest.” Just 2 days later, this UK political analyst predicts the violence


12/26-27: Trump announces his participation on Twitter. On Dec. 29, the FBI sends out a nationwide bulletin warning legislatures about attacks https://t.co/Lgl4yk5aO1


1/1: Trump tweets the time of his protest. Then he retweets “The calvary is coming” on Jan. 6!” Sounds like a war? About this time, the FBI begins visiting right wing extremists to tell them not to go--does the FBI tell the president? https://t.co/3OxnB2AHdr
I don't normally do threads like this but I did want to provide some deeper thoughts on the below and why having a video game based on a real world war crime from the same people that received CIA funding isn't the best idea.

This will go pretty in depth FYI.


The core reason why I'm doing this thread is because:

1. It's clear the developers are marketing the game a certain way.

2. This is based on something that actually happened, a war crime no less. I don't have issues with shooter games in general ofc.

Firstly, It's important to acknowledge that the Iraq war was an illegal war, based on lies, a desire for regime change and control of resources in the region.

These were lies that people believed and still believe to this day.

It's also important to mention that the action taken by these aggressors is the reason there was a battle in Fallujah in the first place. People became resistance fighters because they were left with nothing but death and destruction all around them after the illegal invasion.

This is where one of the first red flags comes up.

The game is very much from an American point of view, as shown in the description.

When it mentions Iraqi civilians, it doesn't talk about them as victims, but mentions them as being pro US, fighting alongside them.

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