Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
For: EFE
Wednesday, October 30
Biden asks Congress to urgently pass law for “dreamers” after judge in Texas declared DACA illegal
WASHINGTON – The president, Joe Biden, urged Congress this Saturday to approve “with the greatest urgency” a law that allows access to citizenship to the thousands of undocumented young people known as “dreamers” who arrived in the country as children and stopped their deportation thanks to the DACA program.
The president made that request in a statement, a day after a Texas judge will rule against the Deferred Action Program (DACA) , that since its inception in 2012 by the former President Barack Obama (2009 – 2017) has faced numerous legal challenges.
Biden announced that the Department of Justice will appeal the decision of the Texas magistrate, who has ordered suspend new applications to the program although 650, 04 undocumented youth who currently benefit from this plan will continue to be protected.
DACA provisionally stops the deportation of its beneficiaries, grants them a temporary work permit and allows them to travel outside the country by requesting a permit.
Biden tilda de The ruling “disappointing”
Biden considered the judge’s ruling “disappointing” Texas because it “relegates hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to an uncertain future.”
In addition, the court decision puts greater pressure to act on Biden and in Congress, where his party has the majority.
In this regard, Biden recalled that the Legislature is “the only one” that by law can offer a “permanent solution” to undocumented youth with approval of a law that allows them access to US citizenship, a solution that “these young people need and deserve.”
For this reason, he renewed his call to Congress to pass “with the utmost urgency” a solution for dreamers.
Bill in the Chamber would grant citizenship to some 4.4 million “dreamers”
The ruler mentioned the Law of Dream and Promise as a possible option , a legislative project that has already been approved in the Lower House and that would allow some 4.4 million “dreamers” to access citizenship, some of whom applied for DACA, although this was not the case for all.
That initiative is stalled in the Senate , where Democrats have a narrow majority of 50 seats and would need the support of 10 Republicans to pass the law.
Immigration reform in Biden’s infrastructure plan
However, since getting Republican support is tricky, Senate Democrats are now considering using a legislative formula known as reconciliation and that allows the approval of a bill with a simple majority of 50 votes, instead of the 60 that are normally needed.
Specifically, Democrats have proposed a $ 3.5 trillion spending package on which have included provisions to open a path to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants.
Democrats could pass that measure in lonely; But, to achieve this, they need to unite the more moderate wing of the party and the progressive flank.
“I fervently hope,” said Biden, “that , through the reconciliation process or through other means, Congress will finally provide security to all the dreamers, who have lived too long in fear. ”
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