Dream and Promise Act, Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, and Dignity Plan

Immigration policy in the United States continues to be a hot topic in our national discourse.  In this article we have three separate immigration updates to share with you.  To begin, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed two separate immigration bills.  Also, House Republicans have put forth their version of an immigration reform bill called the Dignity Plan.  We will go through these updates with you so you can understand the latest in immigration policy.

We are Ashoori Law, led by U.S. immigration lawyer Michael Ashoori. At our law firm we work with clients from all over the world, and we regularly post articles and videos to make sure that you are up to date with the latest immigration news.  If you have any questions, then we invite you to contact us at Ashoori Law.  Feel free to call, text, or WhatsApp message us at +1-818-741-1117 or you may request a free consultation by clicking this link.

Update 1 – The House Passed the “Dream and Promise Act”

The House has officially passed the Dream and Promise Act.  The Act is a bill that provides a path to citizenship for Dreamers.  As you may know, Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who came to the United states as minors.  Currently, it is estimated that there are about 2.3 million Dreamers. 

Not only does the Act call for a path to citizenship for Dreamers, but it also calls for a path to citizenship for certain people who are in the United states on temporary protected status, known as “TPS.”  It is estimated that there are about 300,000 people in the TPS category. 

There are a few important details that you need to know about the Dream and Promise Act.  The bill passed the House by getting unanimous support from Democrats and the support of nine Republicans.  The bill, however, has yet to become law.  In order to become law, the bill has to pass in the Senate, which has not yet happened. 

That said, this is still wonderful news for anybody in the United States who is a Dreamer, or who is in the United States under TPS.

Update 2 – The House Passed the “Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021”

The House has also passed another bill called the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021.  This bill would provide for a path to legal status for over a million farmworkers in the United States.  The bill passed the House with the support of all but two Democrats, and the support of 30 Republicans. 

The way this bill works is that it first allows certain agricultural workers to earn legal status.  After a period of time, those workers could be eligible to apply for permanent residence, also known as a green card.  Another important point to mention, similar to the first bill we discussed, is that this bill has only passed the House.  In order for the bill to become law it also has to pass the Senate. 

Update 3 – New Republican Plan, the “Dignity Plan”

House Republicans have introduced their own version of an immigration reform bill, and it is called the Dignity Plan.  This bill has not been voted on, it has only just been introduced, but we wanted you to know some of the aspects of this bill so that you can have an understanding of some of its elements.  Here are five basic initiatives of the Dignity Plan:

1. Boosting funding for increased border security.  Specifically, the bill calls for the federal government to provide funding for an impenetrable border infrastructure system.

2. A plan to provide protection to Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors.  Specifically, it calls for a 10-year path to renewable legal status for undocumented immigrants who have not committed certain crimes.

3. Cracking down on abuses in the asylum system.

4. Enhanced enforcement of our existing immigration laws to make sure that removals are carried out more quickly and efficiently.

5. Expanding visas for agricultural workers.

It is worth repeating that this bill has not passed the House yet.  It would need to pass the House and Senate to become law.  Also, it is important to understand that the five points above are only some of the highlights of the bill.  There are other provisions of the bill related to those five basic initiatives.

Conclusion

2021 is shaping up to be a very active year for Congress on the immigration front.  As always, we will continue to monitor for developments on this front.

My name is Michael Ashoori and I’m a U.S. immigration lawyer and the founder of Ashoori Law. If you have any questions, feel free to call, text, or WhatsApp message us at +1-818-741-1117 or you may request a free consultation by clicking this link.