The New York Times is reporting that President-elect Biden intends to propose broad immigration reforms on day one of his presidency. According to the Times, “President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will propose far-reaching legislation on Wednesday to give millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States a chance to become citizens in as little as eight years…”
The Times writes that Biden intends to include DACA or DREAM Act type legislation, perhaps a path to residency for those with TPS or other temporary benefits, as well as expanding refugee and asylee programs.
The Biden administration can propose legislation and make some administrative changes to the regulations and procedures. However, it cannot enact legislation, which must move through Congress. Even with Democrat control of the House and Senate, immigration reform is a challenging and contentious topic.