One Thumbs-Up for Immigration Reform
Douglas Holtz-Eakin
Eakinomics: One Thumbs-Up for Immigration Reform
The Biden Administration’s stealth immigration reform has now been unveiled, and it is exactly as advertised (see the short review by Whitney Appel and me). The U.S. Citizenship Act (USCA) of 2021, introduced in the House by Rep. Sanchez and in the Senate by Sen. Menendez, most notably includes an ambitious legalization of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants present in the United States. Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), those with Temporary Protected Status, and agriculture workers would have the ability to immediately apply for a green card and become citizens after 3 years. The remainder of the illegal immigrant population would have an 8-year path to citizenship. In addition to legalization, the bill would revamp the strategy at the southern border and provide assistance to Central American countries in an attempt to forestall illeg