Most recent presidential elections and immigration

2020 was quite a peculiar year for humanity. The sudden arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic undoubtedly unleashed chaos in the world. The health emergency also brought a global economic crisis and, in many countries, a social and political crisis.

One of the countries most affected by the health crisis is the US, which is still the main epicenter of the global pandemic after more than 9 consecutive months. Dozens of critics have blamed the Trump administration for the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the North American territory because, in their opinion, it did not react in time, acted negligently despite what was happening in other countries and allowed the spread of the virus.

However, despite governments trying to lessen the impact of the pandemic, COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus through human contact, making it more difficult to stop its massive spread.

Aside from the global pandemic, the American population also had to face presidential elections and citizens had to elect the leader of the nation for the next four years. Despite the fact that President Trump was seeking re-election, the local population elected Joe Biden as the 46th president of the US, who will take office on January 20, 2021.

One of the most divided issues during the presidential elections was immigration. On the one hand, President Trump takes a strict and rather negative stance on immigration and has tried to reduce legal alternatives for foreigners over the past four years and curb illegal immigration at the borders. On the other hand, President-elect Joe Biden supports immigration and constantly states that it is a strength for the US and a benefit for the local economy.

The Biden government and Immigration

Regarding immigration, there are a many things we need to consider now that the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, will lead the US administration. Let’s see some of them:

1. Business immigration

President Trump substantially restricted business immigration during his term, primarily after the massive Coronavirus outbreak. His government argues that foreign workers take away job opportunities from American workers, increasing the local unemployment rate, which skyrocketed due to the health crisis.

The incoming administration states that business immigration and foreign workforce are extremely necessary for the US to overcome the current crisis and restore economic stability in the most important sectors of the local market. Thus, the president-elect plans to lift Trump’s restrictive immigration policies and allow local companies to hire foreign workers again.

2. Refugee Program

The US government is in charge of deciding how many refugees will be admitted in the country during each fiscal year (October-September). The Trump administration lowered the number of refugees for fiscal year 2021 to 15,000, setting a record for the lowest number in the country’s recent history.

The incoming government promised to raise the refugee limit to 125,000 annually, which would also set a record for the highest number in the country’s recent history.

3. Political asylum process

The Trump administration has implemented multiple policies that restrict the political asylum process. To give an example, in 2019, the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) was implemented, which forces asylum seekers to remain in Mexico until they receive a response to their immigration applications, leaving them in limbo for months, without access to economic stability or basic services and surviving thanks to donations from neighboring communities and activist groups.

The Biden administration plans to revoke this policy and offer immigration benefits for asylum seekers, preventing family separation at borders and protecting the human rights of the most vulnerable immigrant communities.

It is the right time to start your immigration journey in the US!

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.