Washington, D.C., July 19, 2021: News reports from Capitol Hill indicate that the Democratic Party is planning on attaching immigration reform legislation to the infrastructure legislation or budget reconciliation bills that are planned for votes this August and September of 2021.
The bills are described as ‘ambitious’, and would implement significant modernizations to the U.S.’s antiquated immigration system.
According to statements by Senator Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the lead author of a sweeping immigration bill, the measures would be attached to a sprawling $3.5 trillion economic package. Democrats are exploring immigration changes worth $120 billion in the budget reconciliation measure, which can pass without Republican support.
Menendez said Democrats will seek to allow a path to legalization and green cards for certain “Dreamers,” farmworkers, essential workers and people on Temporary Protected Status.
Senator Menendez stated: “That’s not everything that my U.S. Citizenship Act would do, but it would be a very big down payment,” he said, adding that the goal is “to be as expansive as we can on immigration reform.”
Nevertheless, there is ample room for this strategy to encounter significant obstacles. The strategy requires all Democrats in the House and Senate to support the bill — which is far from certain in the Senate. Additionally, it would also require the Congress’ parliamentary rules to be held to allow immigration policy legislation to be attached in a budget measure — which Republicans definitively oppose.
Donoso & Partners, a leading immigration law firm based in Washington, D.C., will continue to report on developments regarding the immigration law and policy through our news section of donosolaw.com.
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