Kamala Harris Immigration Reform Plans vs. Biden's Policies

Key Takeaways

Kamala Harris emphasizes strong border security and stricter enforcement alongside enhancing legal pathways for immigrants and asylum processes.
Her plans differ from Biden’s by focusing on long-term security measures, legal reforms, and a tougher asylum stance.
Harris aims to tackle root migration causes in Central America through regional collaboration and technological border enhancements.

Kamala Harris, who is currently the Vice President of the United States 🇺🇸 and a 2024 presidential hopeful, has introduced a detailed plan for immigration reform. Her approach shows both alignment with and deviations from the policies of President Joe Biden. While both leaders prioritize humanitarian needs, Harris stresses stricter border security measures. Let’s look closer at her plans, how they differ from Biden’s policies, and their potential effects on U.S. immigration law.

Kamala Harris’s Immigration Reform Plans

Kamala Harris Immigration Reform Plans vs. Biden’s Policies

Border Security and Enforcement

Kamala Harris’s immigration agenda places strong emphasis on border security. She proposes a comprehensive bill to enhance border security, which was halted in Congress earlier this year. This legislation is crucial for her method of managing immigration. If she wins the presidency, reviving this legislation will be a top priority.

This bill suggests the addition of over 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, 4,300 more asylum officers, and 10,000 additional beds in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. It also focuses on fighting drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Harris has dedicated her agenda to not only improving border security but also making the asylum process faster and more effective by cutting down on delays and ensuring quick processing times.

Additionally, Harris proposes continuing some Biden administration policies that stop undocumented immigrants, crossing between ports of entry, from seeking asylum. She plans to arrest and deport those who enter illegally and enforce a five-year re-entry ban for these individuals. This indicates a stricter approach toward illegal immigration compared to her earlier stance, which included calls to decriminalize border crossings.

Legal Pathways for Immigrants

Even with her strong focus on enforcement, Harris strongly supports increasing legal pathways for immigrants. This sets her apart from more extreme perspectives, like those of former President Donald Trump. She has proposed an “earned pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants with deep roots in the United States. Her commitment to protecting Dreamers, those brought to the U.S. as children, shines through in her plans to expand protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Harris further supports the reduction of visa backlogs and the simplification of legal immigration procedures. Her plan aims to create more opportunities for skilled workers by expanding visa programs. This initiative can help resolve worker shortages in essential fields such as healthcare and agriculture. Furthermore, she advocates for extending work permissions to spouses and dependent children of H-1B visa holders—an issue that has sparked debate in recent times.

Addressing the Root Causes of Migration

A pivotal aspect of Harris’s strategy involves targeting the main reasons behind migration, particularly from Central America. Drawing on her experiences as Vice President, where she handled diplomatic missions in the region, she underscores the importance of tackling economic hardships, violence, and corruption in nations like Guatemala 🇬🇹, Honduras 🇭🇳, and El Salvador 🇸🇻. These are often the reasons many search for refuge in the United States.

Harris’s plan involves collaborating with regional governments to boost living standards in these countries, thereby minimizing pressures to migrate. The broader aim is to create environments where individuals feel safe and secure in their own nations.

Technological Enhancements at the Border

An intriguing part of Harris’s border strategy includes modernizing border security using technology. She plans to introduce advanced surveillance systems to better monitor crossings and uncover illegal activities such as smuggling. This step aims to supplement traditional enforcement ways while easing workloads for CBP officers.

Differences from Biden’s Current Policies

Although Kamala Harris’s plan aligns with some aspects of President Joe Biden’s immigration strategy, including balancing enforcement with humanitarian values, there are notable differences.

Stronger Focus on Border Enforcement

One clear difference is Harris’s initial concentration on stricter border enforcement. President Joe Biden first targeted overturning Donald Trump’s tight immigration rules, such as stopping border wall construction and ending the travel ban. Yet, he later adopted tougher enforcement strategies due to the unexpected surge in illegal immigration at the southern border.

On the other hand, Harris plans to implement stronger border security measures from the beginning of her presidency. Her proposed border security bill contains more rigorous strategies than those seen during Biden’s first term. Unlike Biden’s temporary deployment of extra troops to help CBP agents after Title 42 expired in 2023, Harris focuses on enhancing CBP staffing levels through legislative actions for a long-term solution. Furthermore, rather than depending on emergency health directives, like Biden did with Title 42, she seeks permanent procedures that simplify deportation without such emergency reliance.

Comprehensive Legal Reforms

Another distinction from Biden’s policies is Harris’s take on legal immigration reform. Though both support pathways to citizenship for undocumented residents in the U.S., Harris has emphasized more on curbing visa backlogs and increasing work visas for skilled workers. This is meant to tackle employee shortages in multiple sectors.

While the Biden administration has made moves to widen legal pathways with temporary solutions like humanitarian parole for migrants from Haiti 🇭🇹, Cuba 🇨🇺, Nicaragua 🇳🇮, and Venezuela 🇻🇪, Harris plans for systematic, lasting solutions to fix overarching immigration law issues in the U.S. Her proposals target creating fresh visa categories for family reunification or work-based immigration, a suggestion welcomed by business leaders concerned about worker shortages stemming from previous administrations’ restrictive measures.

A Tougher Stance on Asylum Seekers

Perhaps the most significant policy shift between Harris and Biden is her position on asylum seekers entering the U.S. illegally. Harris’s approach resembles certain aspects of Trump’s policies but includes key humanitarian considerations.

Under Biden’s governance, asylum seekers could enter the U.S. as they awaited court decisions. However, critics, particularly Republicans, claimed it prompted illegal crossings given the court system’s delays. Harris, in contrast, proposes stricter punishments for those who unlawfully cross the borders. This tougher stance underscores Harris’s commitment to border control while preserving a framework for legal immigration.

Broader Implications

Kamala Harris’s immigration reform plans could significantly affect U.S. immigration law. They promise tighter boundaries on illegal immigration while broadening legal entry options. Her steps to address migration causes in Central America might see positive changes if collaborations with regional governments succeed. As reported by VisaVerge.com, her focus on high-tech border solutions also offers a more effective way to manage immigration.

The focus on balancing enforcement with legal pathways could improve trust among voters seeking stronger border control, but it could also open doors for skilled immigrants aiming to start new lives in the United States. Understanding these plan elements will be key for various stakeholders, from individual immigrants to businesses and policymakers.

For more detailed information on U.S. immigration laws and processes, you can visit the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

Learn Today

Border Security: Measures and practices aimed at safeguarding national boundaries and preventing illegal border crossings and trafficking activities.
Asylum Officers: Government officials responsible for evaluating asylum claims, determining eligibility for protection based on threats or persecution.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): U.S. immigration policy allowing individuals brought as children to receive deferred deportation action and work permits.
Fentanyl: Potent synthetic opioid frequently trafficked across borders, contributing to the opioid crisis through illicit drug trade routes.
Earned Pathway to Citizenship: Proposed immigration policy enabling undocumented immigrants to attain citizenship through fulfilling specific criteria like residency and contributions.

This Article in a Nutshell

Kamala Harris’s immigration reform plan emphasizes stricter border security while expanding legal immigration pathways. She proposes more CBP agents and technological enhancements at the border. Unlike Biden, Harris seeks immediate enforcement strategies and addresses root causes of migration. Her balanced approach aims to secure borders and welcome skilled immigrants.
— By VisaVerge.com