Is Donald Trump going to win or lose his attempt at re-election?
Well, maybe the better question would be whether immigrants are going to win or lose their already-limited freedoms in the United States. New immigration law changes under Trump have placed incredible burdens on families at the border, and four more years of Trump could lead to even more.
If Joe Biden is elected, though, the country might see a wave of immigration reform. A Joe Biden and Kamala Harris immigration policy might even resurrect some elements of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Here’s what might change and what might stay the same.
Collecting DNA
Did you know that under Donald Trump’s current administration, the Department of Homeland Security is planning to collect the DNA of immigrants? Many activists and even legal agencies are calling this a violation of human rights, but as long as Trump is in power, there may be little they can do to stop this from happening.
The Department of Homeland Security is attempting to make this change by modifying and expanding the 2005 DNA Fingerprints Act, which allows the government to collect DNA from people who’ve committed federal crimes. In this case, though, the government would be forcibly collecting DNA from hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and other migrants.
If Trump wins the current election, he would get four more years to oversee the execution of this plan. If Joe Biden wins, though, chances are high that he would try to reverse the project.
Birthright Citizenship
Trump has threatened birthright citizenship in the United States before, and he may do so again. This is the rule in the States that gives citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
Many citizens living and working in the country have citizenship through this policy. If birthright citizenship faced another threat, these citizens would be in danger again. And this could also lead to complicated family situations for future children born in the United States.
The Future of DACA in Immigration Law
One of the main things immigration lawyers and activists are keeping an eye on is the future of DACA. This is an acronym for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. Trump has attempted to kill DACA in the past but was not successful in the end.
Some immigrants are applying for green cards as soon as they can, to avoid potential restrictive changes to immigration in the future. If this describes you, you might be interested in this helpful guide to the immigration process.
If Biden wins the presidency this time, there is a good chance that he would move toward immigration reform and attempt to reverse anti-immigrant policies that Trump put into place. And as for DACA, Biden would likely strengthen the policy against future attacks. After all, it was created under an Obama-Biden presidency in 2012.
We’ll See What the Future Holds
Whatever our predictions are right now, we will learn the reality very soon. The winner of the U.S. presidency will make major decisions on immigration law, healthcare, and the economy for years to come. So go out and vote for your favorite candidate!
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