Is President Biden keeping his campaign promises? On Day One, did he do all the things that he said he would do? The answer is essentially yes. Are there any disappointments? The answer again is yes.
 
Here’s what Biden  did on Day One:
-Reversed Trump’s Executive Order Excluding Undocumented Immigrants from the Census.
-Preserved and fortified Protections for Dreamers. (Requires Congressional action; passed House, now in Senate.)
-Reversed the Muslim Ban.
-Repealed Trump’s Interior Enforcement Executive Order.
-Stopped Border Wall Construction. (However, some work on the wall continues.)
-Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians Presidential Memorandum.
 
He also promised to outline an immigration plan on Day One, and he did. His plan is embodied in bills S.348 and H.R. 1177.
 
However, much remains to do, especially on the issue of deportation. Read this excellent in-depth article by Board Member Larry Jensen on where things stand now. It's definitely worth checking out.
 
Also, to see the status on federal legislation on immigration matters, as of April, click here.

In 2019, the Trump administration created a new rule expanding the definition of "public charge," so that legal immigrants could be denied entry and/or naturalization "because of a concern that they would primarily depend on the government for their income," wrote  Pete Williams of NBC News.  Now, the rule is no more!

The Biden administration recently notified the Supreme Court that it would no longer defend the policy.  As a result, the Court dismissed several pending appeals over the rule, the first step in rescinding the policy.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, said, “This case is over, and this victory means the American Dream is alive and well."  Herrera was one of several local officials who sued to block the Trump-era policy. “The previous administration’s attempt to impose a wealth test on immigrants who came here legally was bad for our economy, bad for public health and bad for our country.”

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas echoed those comments in his statement: "The 2019 public charge rule was not in keeping with our nation’s values. It penalized those who access health benefits and other government services available to them." 

DHS recently released a statement endorsing equal access to COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants. The agency plans to coordinate efforts with federal partners to ensure that underserved and rural communities are able to access the vaccine through fixed facilities, pop-up sites and mobile vaccination clinics. DHS confirms that ICE and CBP will not conduct enforcement operations at or near vaccine distribution sites or clinics.

Click here for the complete statement also available in Spanish. ​

A last-minute contract signed by the Trump administration with ICE's union was cancelled by DHS Secretary Mayorkas on February 16. The contract would have called for the Biden administration to get the union's consent before changing immigration policies. The agreement also had a provision that wuld have barred legal challenges to the contract for eight years. The February JCIRA newsletter asked members and the general public to contact the DHS secretary and our elected representatives and senators, so we appreciate all who heeded the call. To learn more about the cancellation, click here to see this CBS news report.

President Biden has taken many executive actions to revers Trump administration policies. Here's a summary:

• Proclamation reversing Trump's ban on travel from predominantly Muslim countries.
• Memorandum strengthening Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children.
• Proclamation ending construction of Trump's signature wall on the US-Mexican border by proclaiming the "immediate termination" of the national emergency declaration Trump used to fund it.
• Executive order revoking Trump's 2017 Interior Enforcement Executive Order which broadened the categories of undocumented immigrants subject to removal, restarted the Secure Communities program and supported federal deportation program.
• Executive order reestablishing the Task Force on New Americas to help integrate immigrants into American communities. The order will also call on government agencies to conduct a review of regulations and policies that create barriers for legal immigration.
• Executive order introducing an inter-agency task force to reunify families by identifying the children and parents or guardians who were separated at the border, facilitating reunification, and then creating a report on recommendations to ensure the federal government does not have policies in place to separate families.
• Executive order creating a framework addressing the underlying causes of migration to the United States' southern border from mostly Central American countries, and work with foreign governments and organizations to create opportunities to process migrants seeking asylum in that region.
• Executive order calling for an extensive analysis of asylum processing.
• Executive order directing a re-examination of the public charge rule.
• Directing a complete review of Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs.
• Launching a goal to increase refugee admissions to 125,000 in first fiscal year of Biden-Harris administration.

President Biden had imposed a 100-day pause in all deportations beginning January 6, 2021, but this was largely blocked by a federal judge in Texas. Most likely, this action will be battled out in the courts.

The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign, a partnership between the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, El Centro de la Raza, and Northwest Health Law Advocates, with support from the ACLU of Washington, has made the findings of their extensive work available to the public. The campaign, launched in September 2020,  focused on education, identifying gaps and policy/legislative initiatives.
 
Public health coverage programs include immigration status restrictions, which exclude many people from accessing these vital programs. The COVID-19 public health emergency has made it clear that immigrant communities and people of color need better access to health care coverage and services. The campaign members surveyed community leaders and impacted community members to learn more about the health care needs in the community and what should be prioritized for new coverage programs and services. 

See the full report on the ACLU site.  JCIRA will provide updates on the status of legislative work in Olympia concerning healthcare coverage for the immigrant community.

Depart of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the first immigrant and first Latino to serve in that position. Confirmed 56-43 by the Senate, Mayorkas formerly served as the deputy secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama Administration. Read more about Secretary Mayorkas in this Yahoo article.