Tracking President Biden's Immigration Policy: Week of Jan 25, 2021
By The White House - https://www.facebook.com/POTUS/photos/a.107570957986108/109377437805460, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99169751
President Joe Biden met his first full week in office with a flurry of executive orders addressing racial inequality and inequity, climate change, and healthcare, while the Senate plodded through the Cabinet confirmation process. Here’s a summary of immigration-related changes and initiatives instituted by the new administration this week:
COVID-19 TRAVEL SUSPENSIONS
On January 25th, the President released a proclamation suspending travel from the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa, citing a high number of COVID-19 cases and variant strains of the virus. In addition, previous restrictions implemented by former President Trump remain for both China and Iran, and Press Secretary Jen Psaki indicated during her press briefing on Monday that all international travelers to the United States will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within three days prior to their departure.
EXECUTIVE ACTIONS
President Biden signed several executive orders this week, including one instructing the Department of Justice to phase out the use of private prisons. While this order does not impact immigration detention centers, many advocates see it as an optimistic first step in ending mass incarceration. In addition, the New Mexico House committee passed a similar bill this week that would discontinue the use of private prisons in the state. New Mexico relies on private prisons more than any other state in the U.S., with over half of the state’s prison inmates incarcerated in private prisons. There are currently seven privately-owned facilities in New Mexico, including three immigration detention centers.
PERSONNEL CHANGES
The Senate voted to confirm Antony Blinken as Secretary of State on Tuesday, making him the fifth member of Biden’s cabinet to be confirmed. Blinken has held several foreign policy positions over the past few decades. During the Clinton Administration, he served as a member of the National Security Council staff (1994-2001), Special Assistant to the President and Sr. Director for Speechwriting (1994-1998), Sr. Director for European and Canadian Affairs (1999-2001). In 2002, Blinken was appointed staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he assisted then-Senator and Chairman of the Committee Joe Biden. He served as Deputy National Security Advisor (2013-2015) and Deputy Secretary of State (2015-2017) during the Obama Administration. During a recent interview with CBS News, Blinken championed comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals.
Still waiting in the wings is President Biden’s nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, whose confirmation vote is set to take place on Monday. If confirmed, Mayorkas will be the first Latino and immigrant to hold the position, having arrived in the U.S. with his family in 1960 as a refugee following the Cuban Revolution. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (B.A.) and Loyola Law School (J.D.). Mayorkas was appointed by President Clinton as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and served in the role from 1998-2001. He was also a prominent figure during the development of President Obama’s immigration policy. In addition to serving as Director of USCIS (2009-2013) and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2016), Mayorkas was also one of the architects behind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. As a civilian, Mayorkas is a Board Member for HIAS, a nonprofit organization providing aid and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers.