A look at immigration during Biden's first year in office
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**B Stands for Biden**

Good afternoon,

One year ago today, on January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration began
and with it came high hopes that we would begin seeing positive changes
in immigration policies after a presidential term in which action after
action was taken to diminish rights and opportunities for immigrants and
refugees. Reflecting on the first year of Biden's presidency, there
have been positive achievements but also challenges and setbacks that
need to be addressed. 

There were several actions taken on immigration this past year that we
celebrate. Biden put together a Family Reunification Task Force that
reunited

63 families (as of December) with movement to resettle 221 more and
restored access to protection for unaccompanied children and other more
vulnerable

migrants. The President also increased the refugee ceiling

to 125,000 for 2022 and began the process to rebuild

the refugee resettlement system after the Trump Administration
drastically cut resources and set low admission targets. In response to
the crisis in Afghanistan, the Biden Administration evacuated more than
100,000 vulnerable Afghans and resettled 75,000 evacuees in welcoming
communities across the U.S.

These actions, while moving toward progress, come alongside challenges
that the administration must address more productively. While some
vulnerable migrants crossing our southern border have access to
protection, many are being turned back to dangerous situations under
Migrant Protection Protocols

or Title 42
,
and there is still the struggle to adequately care for unaccompanied
children awaiting placement with sponsors.

The refugee ceiling of 125,000 may be the highest target since 1993, but
the Biden Administration resettled a record low number
of refugees for the
2021 fiscal year, and seems to be nowhere close to reaching its goal for
2022. And while thousands of Afghans have been resettled in the U.S.,
there is no path for them to acquire permanent status, leaving them in
limbo. 

Despite the setbacks, President Biden still has time to meet these
challenges and work towards a more just and compassionate immigration
system. My colleagues at the National Immigration Forum wrote a paper
detailing the administration's treatment of vulnerable migrants
,
which goes deeper into the details of areas of progress and challenges
as well as solutions for how the administration can move forward after
this first year in office. I encourage you to check it out to learn
more!

As we know, there's always more to be done on behalf of our immigrant
community. I hope you'll continue to join me in pushing for just,
compassionate and strategic immigration policies that benefit us all.

Stay healthy and hopeful,

Adam

P.S. Please join us to continue this conversation tomorrow, Friday,
January 21 at 1pm ET when the Forum teams up with Refugee Council USA
for a Facebook Live to discuss the Biden
Administration's work regarding immigration this past year. Click here
to RSVP.

**Adam Estle**
Vice President of Field and Constituencies
National Immigration Forum 

**NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:**

****

**WASHINGTON POST:**Administration tells court that separated migrant
families aren't entitled to compensation

**VOX:**Biden's immigration policies have left Haitians stranded in
Mexico

**AXIOS:**America's labor shortage is bigger than the pandemic

**MEDIUM:**Fighting for American Democracy Includes Fighting for a
Pro-Immigrant America

**PBS NEWS HOUR:**Documentary provides inside look at COVID-19
conditions in immigrant detention

 

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