The Trump administration’s promises regarding immigration

One of the main issues during the 2016 presidential elections was immigration. President Donald Trump used the immigration sector as a linchpin during his political campaign and made multiple promises regarding legal processes available to foreigners planning to come to the US and illegal immigration.

His comments referred to immigration as something negative, and still do. The Trump administration argues that immigration must be controlled, measured and monitored so that it is not massive and does not become an unnecessary burden on the local economic system, taxpayers and the federal government.

Speaking specifically about illegal immigration, one of the main proposals of his political campaign was the construction of the border wall that separates the US from Mexico, which has also been part of other political campaigns since 1909. The Trump administration states that the border wall curbs illegal immigration, helps border agents, forces immigrants to request legal permits only at authorized ports of entry, and has even mentioned that it reduces the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the North American territory.

Currently, according to official figures from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there is a total of 452 miles of border wall. The Trump administration expedited the construction after the presidential elections, which took place on November 3, 2020.

Contact Motion Law if you need help with a pending immigration case or if you are about to start an immigration journey in the US.

Incoming government plans to halt the border wall construction

To the surprise of many, the American population chose the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, as the next president of the US, who is only two weeks away from taking office.

The Biden administration plans to transform, restructure, and reform the current immigration system, lifting Trump’s restrictions, implementing welcoming policies for the most vulnerable immigrant communities, and offering more benefits to foreign workers.

Regarding the border wall, Biden stated that he will stop construction of the wall, but will not touch what Trump has built.

Due to his welcoming stance when it comes to immigration, the opposition has already raised its voice and criticized Biden’s immigration proposals, stating that they could stimulate and incentivize a wave of massive immigration to the US, mainly from Central America.

CBP commissioner criticizes Biden’s immigration policies

On Tuesday, January 5, 2021, acting CBP commissioner Mark Morgan commented on the impact of Trump’s policies on illegal immigration and  possible repercussions of the incoming administration’s permissive policies.

Morgan praised Trump’s border wall and the speed of construction in recent months despite the health emergency. Other than that, Morgan stated that if Biden suddenly lifts current restrictions on multiple immigration processes, it could unleash an immigration crisis within the US.

Morgan openly stated: “If the Biden team implements its campaign promises from day one, it will create a total crisis in the coming weeks (…) We are already seeing an increase in the apprehension of undocumented immigrants at the border. Preliminary figures for December show some 74,000 arrests; this is 7% more than in November.”

However, the incoming administration clarified that changes on immigration will be systematic and strategic to avoid a crisis within the US and at the borders.

Do you need help with an immigration case?

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.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.