Migrants disappointed with Biden’s immigration policy

A coalition of 55 migrant-led organizations accused US President Joe Biden of having betrayed his promises by keeping “key components” of the policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

One year after a series of executive orders signed by Biden on immigration matters, the Alianza Américas coalition, present in 40 states in the United States, laments “lack of progress” in protecting migrants and in addressing the causes of migration.

“Although there has been some progress, the administration continues to defend key components of Trump’s inhumane immigration policies.”, he maintains in a statement.

The Democratic president’s policyis welcome after the appalling cruelty and blatant racism of the Trump years, but in key areas, the Biden White House continues to uphold the hateful spirit of immigration policies” of the Republican tycoon, estimates Hazel Contreras, coordinator of Alianza Américas for Central America.

The migrants reproach Biden for “support and reinstate draconian immigration policies” as the controversial “title 42″, a provision used since the Trump era that allows undocumented migrants, even if they are asylum seekers, to be immediately expelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The White House also reinstated the program “stay in mexico” (the Migrant Protection Protocols or MPP), which obliges asylum seekers to wait for the resolution of their cases in “Mexican border cities where they are not safe”, they protest.

The US government was forced to re-establishstay in mexico” after several judicial setbacks and has gone to the Supreme Court to resolve them.

Alianza Américas particularly regrets the lack of progress regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a renewable program that prevents deportation and gives access to a work permit for foreign citizens who cannot return safely to their country due to natural disasters, armed conflicts or other extraordinary conditions. It applies to several Central American States but, as it is temporary, it must be renewed from time to time.

“We request a new TPS designation for El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua and a first for Guatemala because it would provide protection against deportation for another 18 months, given that the conditions in each country continue to be unstable and dangerous to return.”, declares Yanira Arias, director of the national campaign of Alianza Américas.

That the Biden administration has not done so “is one of the biggest disappointments of its immigration agenda so far,” he adds.

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The migrants are satisfied, however, with some measures adopted by Biden, such as the proposal of a multi-year plan of US$ 4,000 million to address migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and the launch of a five-pillar strategy: the fight against economic insecurity, corruption, crime, gender violence and the promotion of human rights.

They also applaud an initiative for the private sector to invest in Central America and the sending of Vice President Kamala Harris to Mexico and Guatemala. But on the trips Harris told the migrants: “Do not come”.

“The devastation of climate disasters in Honduras, Guatemala and Haiti will continue to fuel migration”, says Melanie Minuche, climate justice organizer for Alianza Americas.

“Given how much the global north, including the United States, has fueled the climate crisis with greenhouse gas emissions, the Biden administration has a moral responsibility to prioritize creating legal pathways so that those fleeing climate disasters in Central America have options to seek a better life“, He says.

Since his arrival at the White House, Biden, who had promised an immigration policy “more human”, opened several fronts, even proposing a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, but each of his initiatives ran into the Senate and the fierce opposition of the Republicans, over whom Trump has a lot of influence.