Biden Plans Sweeping Executive Order to Stop Border Crossings
President Biden hinted at issuing an executive order that would dramatically reduce the number of asylum-seekers who are able to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden would act under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which gives the president sweeping authority to block immigration if it would be “detrimental” to national interests.
Although the executive order is not yet finalized, Biden is expected to announce border policy changes by the end of April.
Trump and House Speaker Push Non-citizen Voting Bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson, with the help of former President Trump, is promoting a new bill aimed at preventing non-citizens from voting.
Trump has falsely claimed that widespread voter fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election, however non-citizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections and such instances of fraud are incredibly rare. Additionally, no state in the U.S. currently allows for non-citizen voting in state-level elections.
Immigrants Drive Labor Force Population Growth
Recent studies show that without foreign-born workers, population and job growth would significantly shrink in the United States.
Births in the U.S. peaked in 2007 at 4,316,233 and have been steadily declining since, with last year’s births reaching the lowest total since 1979. Stagnant population growth and a sharp decline in labor force participation among older generations has contributed to labor shortages in recent years. Increased immigration has helped alleviate these shortages, with a 2 million-estimated increase in the foreign-born working-age population over the past year.
More than 1 Million Indians Stuck in Employment Green Card Backlog
According to recent data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), over 1.2 million Indians are currently waiting for employment-based green cards. This group of highly-skilled professionals and their dependents now face a possibly decades-long wait to obtain permanent residency based on the current backlog.
The massive backlog and long wait-times for employment green cards have a negative impact on applicants and their families. Indian workers spend years in immigration limbo, relying on their work visa status to remain in the country.