First Steps To Long-Term Immigration Reform

There are over 40 million immigrants living in the US, a country that continues to draw a diverse mix of people from all over the world. While the majority are legal, close to a quarter of immigrants are living in the country without authorization. The current administration has made a commitment to improve current immigration policies, making it easier for more people to live and work lawfully in the country. Free immigration brings considerable benefits, and many immigrants work in essential roles contributing positively to the economy and local communities. Improving the immigration system will necessarily require long-term solutions, but for now, the House has recently approved two bills that will extend legal status to specific demographics.

The US House has recently approved bills to protect Dreamers and Farm Workers. Roughly 2 million Dreamers, people who were brought to the US illegally when they were children, could be offered legal status. A separate measure would protect 1 million illegal farm laborers in a similar way. Through its US Citizenship Act of 2021, the current administration would eventually like to ease visa restrictions for more people, and offer citizenship to all 11 million immigrants currently living in the US illegally. In the meantime, however, US laws and procedures for immigration remain complicated. Immigration specialists at Farmer Law emphasize the importance of compliance with current immigration regulations, from visas for immigrant families to support for temporary laborers. Helping to keep families together and protecting workers from exploitation in this way are two integral components of the proposed modernization of the current immigration system.

A quarter of all US immigrants come from Mexico, and recent months have seen surges of people attempting to enter the country. In February, more than 100,000 people were stopped at the border, many of whom were unaccompanied children. Allowing them to enter and housing them in administrative facilities has led to criticism and comparisons with former policies. As well as enabling more people to gain legal status, the administration would like to enhance border security and improve conditions in Central America to encourage people to stay. However, these and other long-term solutions will all need greater bi-partisan support if they are to be implemented in the future.

With a long history of immigration, the US continues to attract people from all over the world. An overhaul of current immigration policies will need long-term solutions that balance appropriate controls with greater freedom of movement and the benefits that can bring.