Zero tolerance policy and the Trump administration’s vision on immigration

One of the key pieces of the political campaign of president Donald Trump has always been to reduce immigration, both legal and illegal. The Trump administration states that mass immigration is negative for the economy and that immigrant communities, especially those undocumented and those who apply to humanitarian programs such as political asylum, take advantage of the current immigration system, become an unnecessary burden on taxpayers and the economy, abuse government benefits and overuse social services, which, in its opinion, should be available to the American population.

Therefore, during the last four years, the Trump administration has implemented immigration policies that gradually unleashed a humanitarian crisis, not only within the US, but also along the borders with Mexico.

For instance, in 2018, the Trump administration officially implemented the so-called “Zero Tolerance Policy,” which states that immigrants who cross the borders of the US without legal documentation are violating the law and therefore must face criminal prosecution.

However, there are two key facts to keep in mind about this policy:

1. The Trump administration conducted a “Zero Tolerance Policy” secret pilot program in 2017, without notifying the public.
2. This policy encourages and increases the separation of immigrant families at the borders because border entities, in accordance with local law, cannot detain minors for more than a certain period of time, normally 72 hours. Therefore, in order to meet the goal of criminally prosecuting adults who cross borders illegally, minors had to be separated from their parents.

Avoid risky situations for you and your family. Contact Motion Law and follow the advice of experts to start your immigration journey in the US!

What can the Biden government do to repair the consequences of this immigration policy?

President-elect Joe Biden will face an immigration crisis once he takes office in January 2021. This includes the aftermath of the separation of immigrant families thanks to Trump’s “zero tolerance policy”.

According to two experts, professors from the University of Virginia and New York University, the Biden administration must follow four steps in order to repair the psychological damage caused to more than 2,000 immigrant minors separated from their families:

1. Family Reunification. Currently, there are 666 cases of immigrant minors, who were separated from their relatives during the Trump pilot program in 2017, and have not been able to find the whereabouts of their relatives, who may have already been deported from the US.
2. The development of children must be a priority at the borders. The federal government must take into account the needs of immigrant minors who arrive at the borders between the US and Mexico, so that, despite circumstances they go through and from which they flee, they can have an appropriate development.
3. Improve conditions and care for minors while they are under the US’ custody and prevent inappropriate environments from stunting the growth of immigrant children.
4. The Biden administration should expand social security options for immigrant families arriving at the borders with minors.

Experts state that “The harm to our nation’s refugees, asylees, legal immigrants and mixed-status families has been extreme in the current administration, but not irreversible.”

Choose the legal process that best suits your current immigration needs

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

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