Biden rule to shield ‘Dreamers’ seeks to bypass Congress
Associated PressWASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Monday renewed efforts to shield hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as young children from deportation, the latest maneuver in a long-running drama over the policy’s legality. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called again on Monday for Congress to act swiftly to provide “the legal status they need and deserve.” “The Biden-Harris Administration continues to take action to protect Dreamers and recognize their contributions to this country,” said Mayorkas, using a commonly used term for immigrants who came to the U.S. with their parents as young children. “A more formalized version of DACA will stabilize the lives of DACA-eligible Dreamers but legislative action is still needed to fully solidify DACA recipients’ contributions, expand protections to other Dreamers and build a pathway to permanent legal status,” said Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum. “Formalizing DACA is a positive step, but it’s not a permanent fix.” The Democratic-run House passed legislation earlier this year creating a way for Dreamers to become legal permanent residents, but the bill has gone nowhere in the Senate, where Republicans have blocked it and bipartisan talks have stalled. Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School, said the administration’s proposal carries no major changes and “is an effort to bulletproof the existing program from litigation challenges.” The proposal adheres to the same criteria, which include arriving in the country before age 16, continuously residing in the United States since arrival and being in the country on June 15, 2012.