Citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants: bills passed in the House of Representatives

On Thursday, March 18, the US House of Representatives passed two proposals that will legalize some of the approximately 11 million immigrants living in the US without legal permission. Writes about it CBS News.

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Together with nine Republicans, all Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to endorse the American Dreams and Promises Act, which was passed by 228 votes to 197. The proposal would have allowed more than 2,3 million "dreamers" imported into the United States before they came of age, and beneficiaries of certain temporary humanitarian programs, receive permanent legal status and, ultimately, US citizenship.

By 247 votes to 174, the House of Representatives also passed the Farm Workers Modernization Act, which would give legal status to hundreds of thousands of farm workers living in the United States without permission. Thirty Republicans supported the bill, and one Democrat voted against.

Immediately following the adoption of the farm workers bill, Senators Michael Bennett, a Democrat, and Mike Krapo, a Republican, issued a statement. It says, among other things, that they will be submitting a "companion law" to the Senate that "appropriately addresses the needs of both the industry and farmers."

Given that the radical plan of US President Joe Biden to legalize most of the illegal population The country has been met with criticism from Republicans; individual bills may represent the best chance to create new immigration laws.

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“It has always been my pleasure to praise and help “dreamers.” They make us proud,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “For us, this is not only a day for the adoption of a law, but also a reason for celebration.”

If the American Dreams and Promises Act is signed, DACA recipients and other illegal immigrants who arrived in the country before the age of 18 are eligible to apply for a 10-year conditional permanent residence (permanent residence) period if they qualify.

Potential applicants will be eligible to apply for permanent residence if they:

• completed a college degree or enrolled in an undergraduate program within two years;

• have served in the army for at least two years;

• have worked in the United States for three years.

More than 300 US immigrants with Temporary Protected Status and Delayed Forced Departure, Two Temporary Forms of Humanitarian Aid, will automatically qualify to apply for permanent residency under the bill if they meet eligibility rules.

Unlike the 2019 version, the Dream Act passed by the House of Representatives will, among other things, allow the children of US temporary work visa holders who are trapped in the employment-based green card process to adjust their status.

Seven Republican Congressmen have joined 230 Democrats to pass the 2019 version of the Home Dream Act, spearheaded by California Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard.

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Immigrant advocates and many Democrats see passage of the law as an urgent priority due to clouds hanging over the DACA program. While Biden reversed attempts by President Donald Trump to end DACA, a federal judge in Texas will soon rule on the legality of the program.

Meanwhile, the Farm Workers Modernization Act allows immigrant farm workers to apply for temporary and renewable immigration status if they have worked in the United States for at least 180 days over a two-year period.

Eligible workers will be allowed to apply for green cards if they have worked for four or eight years, depending on whether they have performed such work for more or less than 10 years.

The proposal, put forward by Democratic Congressman Zoe Lofgren and Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse, will make several changes to the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers, including making visas valid for three years.

In December 2019, the Farm Workers Modernization Act was passed by the House of Representatives by 260 votes to 165, with more than 20 Republicans voting alongside Democrats to approve the plan.

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Last month, Congressional Democrats presented a sweeping proposal for an overhaul of immigration policy, based on a scheme devised by Biden's team. Along with expanding legal immigration, investing in Central America, and reorienting border controls, the bill will create a massive two-tier legalization program for a broad group of illegal immigrants in the United States.

Dreamers, TPS holders and agricultural workers will automatically be eligible for green cards, while other illegal immigrants can apply for temporary legal status.

Although it received approval from progressives, the plan advocated by Biden has yet to gain any public support from Republicans in Congress. Earlier this week, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the second-largest Democrat in the Senate, suggested that Pelosi had not yet won enough votes in the House of Representatives to secure the bill.

"I think it's also an indication of how he will be received in the Senate," Durbin said. He intends to open talks with Republican senators to see if they will support separate bills for Dreamers, TPS holders and farmworkers.

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