President Joe Biden is seeking, through the new $1.75 trillion social plan presented this Thursday, October 28, to include a $100 billion allocation to reform the immigration system in accordance with the Senate's reconciliation rules.
After having presented two proposals for the social plan, the Democrats are now trying to push through a Plan C, which is expected to grant humanitarian parole status, including work authorization and protection from deportation for certain undocumented immigrants.
According to a statement issued by the White House, the budget would be used to reduce court delays, expand legal representation, and “make the asylum and border processing system more efficient and humane.”
However, Biden did not specify whether the plan will include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, as Democrats had already promised given the impossibility of passing immigration reform due to Republican opposition.
The new social program will be admitted to Congress through the reconciliation process, a legislative mechanism that will allow it to pass despite Republican obstruction. However, Congress requires that the package be limited at the budgetary level, so it must be reviewed by Senate rules advisor Elizabeth McDonough to determine if it can be passed through reconciliation.
The House of Representatives released a preliminary draft of the bill, which includes a provision allowing undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States by 2010 to apply for legal status. The House bill also includes a provision to reclaim up to 226,000 unused visas.