Well, it has been an interesting year. The Coronavirus has taken the lives of over 1,528,866 people in the world, Unemployment in the United States is rampant, and 2020 has seen the most suicides in the country since 1941.
People are looking forward to 2021 with great anticipation, but in reality, 2021 is certain to be a year wrought with problems for people all over the world especially immigrants.
Determining the Number of Illegal Aliens May be Difficult
The Biden Administration will need to establish a reliable method of determining how many illegal aliens are in the country. Pew Research Center has conducted research to provide an estimate of the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States.
They use a formula called the “residual method” to ascertain the number of illegal immigrants in the country. They use census results to figure out the number of foreign-born people in the country and then subtract that number from the number of Green Card holders that are here.
Although they do have a margin of error, it is unlikely that this method is very accurate as illegal aliens tend to shy away from the Census.
Previously The government has tried to use surveillance technology at the border to no avail. However, there may have been enough of an advance in technology to try again. Joe Biden has stated he will invest in security equipment at the border. He has also vowed to halt the building of the border wall.
Issues with Comprehensive Reform
In 1986 President Reagan signed into law the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986. The act made it illegal to hire illegal immigrants knowingly and fined companies that did. It enabled those who’d been in the country before 1982 to gain Green Cards.
The act was criticized for making it difficult for people who simply looked foreign to get employment. Many businesses used subcontracting companies to avoid legal culpability for hiring certain workers.
The Trump Administration has placed a ban on travel from certain Muslim-majority countries and Joe Biden has stated that he will overturn this ban by executive order as soon as he gets into office on the 20th of January.
President-Elect Biden promised to overturn policies that have resulted in children being caged at the border. He also promised to submit a bill to Congress that would create a means for thousands of undocumented immigrants to gain Green Cards.
Issues With Political Asylum Seekers
The Trump Administration’s “Migrant Protections Protocols.” requires persons seeking political asylum to remain in Mexico while they await a hearing even if the country they are seeking asylum from is Mexico. The president-elect is expected to overturn this policy as well.
All of Mr. Biden’s efforts are expected to be combated by the Republican Senate. His executive orders will be reviewed by the Supreme Court which is predominantly conservative.
Because the wall has largely been funded by private contributions and worked on by construction contractors, the halting of its constructions may result in lawsuits.
The battle over immigrant-rights will continue into the new year. Legal professionals, such as lawyer Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez, are certain to be overwhelmed as some of these policies are overturned.
If the new Administration is successful, it should be easier to become an American citizen or work in the United States if you are from another country. It has been a hard year for everyone, but 2020 signals light at the end of the tunnel for immigrants.
