The Biden Administration's Immigration Double Talk

Last month, horrifying images hit the news: border patrol agents on horses were seen whipping Haitian migrants. This was the latest in a long line of anti-immigrant practices that have emboldened border patrol over the last few years. Some of these practices include the invocation and overuse of Title 42, a policy that closed the borders due to public health concerns and the transmission of COVID, Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy that forces asylum seekers to wait for their hearings in Mexico, and the vast expansion of privately owned ICE detention facilities.

Biden campaigned on fixing the immigration system and his administration has consistently touted their disapproval of Trump-era immigration policies. Even Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, has been honest about the state of immigration affairs, calling it a “completely broken system.” But when we look critically at the administration's positive immigration reform, we see that words and actions aren’t lining up.

What’s it going to take to move the needle on immigration reform during the Biden era? Have we made any headway since Trump left office? Here to answer these questions and more is Cecillia Wang, Deputy Legal Director here at ACLU and the Director of the ACLU’s Center for Democracy.