DHS and its power over immigration

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the largest federal entities in the US. the DHS has the duty to protect the nation from threats such as terrorism, smuggling, and trafficking.

Adding to that, this federal agency has several branches with different tasks that increase protection and security. Multiple branches of DHS are related to the immigration sector, which is quite a controversial topic among the American population.

For instance:

• The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

On the one hand, the USCIS is in charge of receiving, reviewing, and responding to immigration applications in the US. This entity establishes the legal processes and dictates steps that foreigners must follow in order to obtain an entry or legal residence permit. With this, we refer to processes of all kinds, from humanitarian programs such as political asylum, to employment applications or family-based cases.

On the other hand, ICE and CBP are in charge, among many other tasks, of protecting borders, preventing or curbing illegal immigration, initiating deportation processes, supervising immigration detention centers across the US and conducting operations to detain undocumented immigrants.

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The current administration and DHS

The focus of DHS and its branches often changes depending on the US administration. For instance, the Trump administration has used these federal entities to substantially restrict immigration, both legal and illegal, making processes more difficult, lengthening waiting times, and implementing the travel ban during the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, the American population elected the Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the next president of the US during the elections on November 3. It means that the way DHS handles immigration will likely change under his administration.

It is important to clarify that Biden has a more welcoming stance on immigration than President Trump, who refers to immigration as something negative for the economy and the local population. That is why current immigration policies are likely to be drastically transformed under Biden’s administration.

Biden announces who will be the Secretary of DHS

Since the US is going through a transition period where the Trump administration must allow the new administration to engage with federal entity processes, the Biden administration is announcing who will hold important positions.

In fact, Biden recently announced that Alejandro Mayorkas will fill the role of DHS secretary to replace Chad Wolf, nominated by the Trump administration. Mayorkas was the director of the USCIS during Barack Obama’s term and is the first Latino from an immigrant family to occupy this position in the US.

The Senate has yet to approve his candidacy, but the American public hopes that with Mayorkas as DHS secretary, the Biden administration will revoke Trump’s immigration policies and restructure the local immigration system to protect the integrity of the most vulnerable communities and foreign workers.

Seek reliable help for your immigration case

We are going through quite changing times, including the immigration system. Therefore, when submitting an immigration application, it is essential to have the constant accompaniment of experts.

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.