But the main objective is progress. And if that means moving components of the reform through Congress one at a time, or in smaller packages, Biden will be fine with that, said two sources close to the White House.
“It is not an all-or-nothing approach,” said a source familiar with the White House discussions. “We are not saying that you have to pass the Biden bill. But we are saying that this is what we want to do and we plan to move forward with legalization. “
Biden’s immigration plan was an aggressive opening salvo embraced by the base, while Republicans, not surprisingly, gave him a cold welcome. Some on the Hill in particular questioned whether Biden was simply checking a box to appease activists. Defenders of immigrants, for their part, say they have no reason to believe – at this point – that Biden’s bill is ceremonial. But they warn that if substantial immigration reforms do not arrive at their table by the end of the year, Democrats and Biden would not only face an uproar from Dreamers and grassroots organizers – but the party could also suffer politically.
“I want to be clear: there is nothing in the way they are behaving now that suggests it is not a priority,” said Lorella Praeli, president of Community Change Action, a progressive grassroots group. “And in case you are not [a priority], they will lose the majority in 2022. ”
Biden’s proposal, presented hours after he took office, includes a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, expanding refugee resettlement and more technology deployed on the border. Although he is leaving Congress to discuss the mechanics of approving his immigration plan, he is also moving forward with a list of executive actions on Friday. Among the orders in progress are one that restores nursing home protection and another that creates a task force to bring together separate families on the border.
Taken together, Biden’s immigration legislative plan and quick unilateral actions are a clear departure from the last time a Democrat was in the White House. At the very least, Biden seems interested in avoiding mistakes during former President Barack Obama’s first term, when Democrats controlled both chambers, but Obama did not seek comprehensive immigration reform. Instead of waiting until after the 2022 semester exams or a second term, Biden sent his plan to the Hill immediately.
“People forget that in 2009 and 2010 the Obama administration was in exactly the same situation and did not present an immigration bill,” said Leon Fresco, an immigration lawyer who worked in the Obama administration and serves on the Security Department advisory board. Internal.
“In the following decade, people criticized the Obama administration for not presenting a bill when they had control of the Senate and the House,” added Fresco. “Joe Biden is simply not going to repeat that mistake.”
As sources close to the government said, Biden wanted to make his immigration priorities clear, even though the process of passing the law is arduous.
“He’s not starting at the 50-yard line” with a moderate bid like Obama did, said a source close to the White House.
A White House official disputes that Biden is postponing Congress and says the president is working with lawmakers to approve the larger bill. That proposal includes elements that the president feels have not been effectively addressed previously, as the Trump administration’s policy was centered on building a border wall, the official said. “We hope that elected officials on both sides of the aisle will come to the table so that we can finally do that,” said the official.
In addition, other sources close to the White House and several defenders of immigrants said that Democrats should frame any immigration effort as vital to the country’s economic recovery. But while the government is actively monitoring and participating in the reform effort, it is backing down while Congress is drafting the real legislative language..
“We are not just going to impose our will,” said Cedric Richmond, director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement during an event with POLITICO last week. Congress should see Biden’s bill as “a declaration of priority,” he said, but they must “accept it”.
Biden’s first priority is an immediate response to the coronavirus and related stimulus negotiations. Still, they are holding meetings with Hill Democrats on immigration reform. White House policy advisers made calls to Hispanic Caucus offices and chiefs to members of the border.
“We would like to see them move forward quickly,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said of Congressional action on Biden’s immigration proposal last week.
Most lawmakers and officials who spoke to POLITICO say Biden is serious.
Senator Bob Menendez (DN.J.) described passing a comprehensive reform bill as a “Herculean task”. But the Biden government “will put political capital on the table to make it happen,” he said in a liaison with immigrants and labor advocates last week.
Undoubtedly, the division fueled by former President Donald Trump will make it difficult for all parties to support any major immigration bill. As a Chamber chief of staff said, “there really is no room for error”.
Despite initial resistance from some Republicans, Menendez is optimistic the more he will come to the table. He spoke to Senator Lindsey Graham, who in 2013 supported a comprehensive reform, and Menendez thinks the South Carolina Republican will eventually support reform measures. Menendez has yet to speak to Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla) about the bill, but he did speak to other Republicans who voted in favor of the effort in 2013. The other Republicans still in office who supported immigration reform under Obama are Sens. John Hoeven (ND), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine).
Menendez and several other Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to promote a huge immigration package at once, in the hope that it would provide more influence in the negotiations. But the reality of a Senate split makes it all the more difficult, and other senators like Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin – who will be tasked with leading any immigration reform through the Senate Judiciary Committee – have left the door open for a step-by-step approach.
Although negotiations are early and fluid, some members of the House who are working on Biden’s immigration proposal said during a recent meeting that they want to try a comprehensive project first. But they said they are open to breaking individual pieces if the larger account stops, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. A comprehensive package could encounter fierce resistance in the 50-50 Senate if Democrats did not remove legislative obstruction or found ways to include immigration proposals in the budget reconciliation process.
If, in fact, Congress decides to split the bill into components, they may find that advocates are receptive to this approach.
This is because these defenders are watching the clock: projects that were approved at the last Congress can be moved to the plenary directly, without the need to go through a commission, if they are voted before April 1st. If submitted before the deadline, certain projects such as those that provide a path for so-called Dreamers, temporary protection status holders and holders of postponed forced departure from countries devastated by wars and disasters could pass through the Chamber more quickly.
“Certainly Democrats should do the job to build support for the president’s proposed large-scale reform,” said Tom Jawetz, vice president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress. “But they must not let any opportunity pass or any legislative tool go unused.” This includes the use of reconciliation to provide permanent protection for essential workers and their families in the coronavirus relief and economic recovery packages currently underway, he said.
Jawetz and other supporters urged Democrats in Congress to win victories where they can, saying it could create goodwill and an appetite for even more action.
If Democrats do not start moving these components this spring, “there will be a lot of adverse reaction because everyone knows this is the time,” said Marshall Fitz, managing director of immigration at Emerson Collective, a social justice organization.
So far, defenders are taking Biden’s word, saying they have no reason to believe that he sent his immigration bill to Congress on the first day simply as a symbolic gesture. Still, they are watching closely and increasing pressure campaigns that include buying digital ads and preparing for grassroots organization to ensure that Congress acts decisively. Several immigrant rights groups are also participating in regular meetings with Chamber officials.
“[We can] whether you are cynical or skeptical about how likely it is that Republicans will come to the table on some of these issues, ”said Fitz. “But I think Biden really wants to see how far he can go.”