The events of the past week have forced the American people to reflect on the inadequacies of the current president, inadequacies that may continue into President Biden’s term.
- Less than two hundred new DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) applicants have been granted access to the program.
- Nebraska governor, Pete Rickets, has announced that the state’s vaccination program will prioritize legal United States residents, while undocumented immigrants will need to wait. Many activists have already spoken up about this issue, citing that the undocumented often work in higher-risk jobs. No other US states have talked about vaccination discrimination based on legality.
- Due to the new COVID-19 pandemic health policy, many Mexican immigration shelters have closed down or limited their facilities. For many who were already dealing with other shutdowns on their journey north, these closures have taken away the few safe places that they have. Now, these immigrants face dangerous gangs, exhaustion, and danger, as they remain unprotected by their previous sanctuaries.
- Although Donald Trump is leaving office in less than a month, he has ensured that his immigration limits will have lasting effects on President Biden’s four years. The visa restrictions, first put in place during April of 2020 and expanded in June of the same year, now have a three-month extension. These restrictions may cause immigrants who are “detrimental to the interests” of the U.S. to be barred from entry into the United States. The limits also prevent immigrants abroad from obtaining green card petitions to come to the US, amid other restrictions. It should be noted that these changes do not affect any children (under the age of 21) or spouses of United States citizens.
Photo by Floris Van Cauwelaert on Unsplash