Poll Finds Majorities in Battleground States Support a Pathway to Citizenship
A new poll shows a majority of voters in battleground states are in favor of enacting immigration reform through the budget reconciliation bill, even without Republican support. The poll was conducted among voters in several states, including Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, and an oversample from Arizona, a “deep purple” state with a large immigrant population. According to the poll, voters support including a pathway to citizenship in the reconciliation bill by a measure of 3-to-1. In Arizona, that number was as high as 79% of all voters, including 98% of Democratic voters and 56% of Republicans.
Immigrants Aren’t Driving COVID Surge, Says Fauci
This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci went on the defensive against the conservative talking point that unvaccinated immigrants bear the blame for the COVID-19 spikes in the U.S. When asked on CNN whether he thought immigrants were the cause of the spread, Fauci did not mince words, saying, “Absolutely not.” A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last week reported that 55% of Republicans and 40% of unvaccinated respondents blamed immigrants and tourists for the high case rates in the U.S. Of that, he said, “Certainly immigrants can get infected, but they’re not the driving force of this.”
Federal Judge Orders Rescue of More Than 7,000 Diversity Visas
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the Biden administration and Department of State to save 7,395 diversity visas that would have expired at the end of the government’s fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2021. The government typically issues around 55,000 diversity visas per year, but due to various travel bans put in place by former President Trump, the State Department deprioritized the processing of DV applications — a policy which continued through the COVID-19 pandemic and into the first year of the Biden administration. Several lawsuits were brought by about 24,000 diversity visa lottery winners, arguing that the government has a legal obligation to process the applications, and that the visas should be “held” beyond their usual Sept. 30 expiration date.
Legal Scholars Call On Harris to Include Immigration Reform in Reconciliation
The Senate parliamentarian ruled against Democrats’ “Plan B” to include immigration reform in the budget reconciliation bill. While a Plan C is pitched, 92 legal scholars called on Vice President Kamala Harris to issue her own ruling as the Presiding Officer of the Senate. The scholars said that while the Senate parliamentarian does offer “expert advice,” the “ultimate decision” lies with the Presiding Officer. By including immigration reform in their spending plan, Democrats could sidestep a Republican filibuster.
Biden Administration Issues New Rules on Deportation
The Biden administration issued new immigration guidelines last week that say being an undocumented person shouldn’t be the only reason for deportation, and that immigration officers should instead prioritize locating individuals who pose a public safety or national security threat. The new rules could mean that the majority of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. will be protected from getting arrested or deported, unless they commit a crime.