Citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the US undocumented

Since Joe Biden launched his political campaign for the 2020 presidential election, he highlighted the need to reform the US immigration system to repair the damage done by the Trump administration to the most vulnerable immigrant communities, implement policies and programs in line with current times and globalization, expand alternatives for highly qualified foreign workers, and offer citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants.

One of President Biden’s main proposals is an immigration bill that would lead to comprehensive reform. During the first day in office (January 20, 2021), the current President of the US introduced the “U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021” for Congress approval.

As part of this immigration reform, the Biden administration proposes to offer a path to citizenship to eligible undocumented immigrants. Under this immigration bill, eligible foreigners will be able to initially apply for temporary legal status. After five years, they can apply for Lawful Permanent Residence or Green Card. If they meet the mandatory requirements, three years after holding a green card, they can apply for American citizenship.

Some mandatory requirements are:

• Pass background checks.
• Pay annual taxes.
• Be physically present in the US on or before January 1, 2021. However, immigrants deported on or after January 20, 2017 (when former President Trump took office) could be exempted from this rule.

Also, TPS (Temporary Protected Status) beneficiaries, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and eligible foreign farmers will be able to apply for Green Card immediately if this immigration bill is approved by Congress.

Poll reveals voters support path to citizenship for undocumented foreigners

A recent poll conducted by Politico and Morning Consult reveals that voters increasingly support the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. 1,990 voters participated in the poll, which took place between January 22 and 25, 2021. Voters were divided among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.

In one of the main questions of the poll, they had to answer what they believe is the best alternative for immigrants currently residing in the US illegally:

1. Path to citizenship.
2. Legal Residence.
3. Deportation.
4. Does not know / No opinion.

This survey was also carried out in 2017 and the results were quite different. Let’s look at some of the most important findings:

• In 2017, 46% of voters responded that undocumented immigrants should have access to citizenship. However, in 2021, 57% of voters responded the same, representing an 11% increase in people supporting a path to citizenship for eligible undocumented foreigners.
• Democrats (72%) and Independents (52%) are more supportive of offering citizenship to undocumented immigrants than Republicans (39%). In fact, in 2017, only 37% of Republicans supported the path to citizenship for undocumented foreigners, representing an increase of only 2%, while the percentage of Democrats and Independents increased 14% and 8% respectively.

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