Published on : 19/03/2021 – 01:48
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The American representatives, in large majority Democrats, voted Thursday a text regularizing the foreigners arrived illegally in the United States while they were minors. Such a measure, promised by President Joe Biden, however, is unlikely to pass in the state in the Senate.
The American House of Representatives, controlled by the Democrats, approved Thursday, March 18, by 228 votes to 197, a text paving the way for the regularization of some 700,000 “Dreamers”, who arrived when they were minors in the United States. “It’s high time for Congress to pave the way to citizenship for Dreamers,” US President Joe Biden tweeted ahead of the vote.
The Democrats also have a majority in the Senate but very short which does not allow them to adopt this text without the support of ten Republicans. A prospect today highly improbable because many in the party believe that such measures would encourage new massive arrivals of undocumented migrants.
Under Democratic President Barack Obama, the United States had implemented in 2012 the DACA program, intended to protect from deportation these “Dreamers” (“dreamers”), who entered illegally during their childhood in the United States, where they live since. But Donald Trump had canceled it in 2017, opening a period of great uncertainty for these young adults under 30. In June 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States had inflicted a snub on him by validating this program.
Agricultural employees
The Democratic bill paves the way for their naturalization, as well as that of holders of temporary protection status (TPS), granted to nationals of countries that are dangerous or hit by natural disasters.
“These are our teachers, our professionals, our CEOs, our entrepreneurs” and “many of them are on the front line of the pandemic,” said in the hemicycle the Democratic President of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
In the process, the chamber approved a text aimed at making it easier to obtain a residence permit for immigrant agricultural workers, with wider support: 247 votes in favor and 174.
“An amnesty” for the right
For Liz Cheney, number three Republicans in the House, these two laws amount to “granting an amnesty to millions” of illegal immigrants. “We need to focus on strengthening the border and improving the legal immigration system.”
Joe Biden has pledged sweeping migration reform, which would pave the way for naturalization for some 11 million illegal immigrants. However, this bill currently has no chance of being adopted in the Senate. If they promise to continue working on this profound reform, the Democrats have opted for a first vote on these two more targeted laws.
With AFP
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