As of the end of November, 3,075,248 deportation cases were pending in the U.S. immigration court system according to the latest announcement from TRAC at Syracuse University. It’s natural to find that milestone alarming. Although the “backlog” of deportation cases has been complained about since the early 1980s, it took until FY 2019 for the number to surpass 1 million for the first time in history.
The widespread use of humanitarian parole is adding to the backlog. At a minimum Congress should pass the Afghan Adjustment Act (75,000+ people) and a similar act for Ukrainians (300,000+ people). Newly arrived migrants are being funneled into a humanitarian system since that is the only way forward despite not everyone being eligible. Even municipalities - like here in NYC - are encouraging everyone to simply apply for asylum even if there may not be a nexus and the case would almost certainly eventually be denied since we have no system to allow people to work legally without that step. We need multifaceted solutions that can address labor shortages too.
Could congress allow all those with an NTA to have work permits without being on a path to citizenship? That would benefit not only the struggling workforce but also provide meaning and purpose. The case could be made that more folks are seeking asylum because so many of the legit work pathways have been shut down
I vote for immigration amnesty (green cards) for DACA recipients and all others who have been here for minimum of five years and haven't committed any violent crimes if they're not already on a path to LPR or citizenship. I realize that wouldn't be popular with some Americans, but you make a great point here about the declining (and aging) population. We need more workers and younger workers. This is one way to solve both problems in a humane manner.
The widespread use of humanitarian parole is adding to the backlog. At a minimum Congress should pass the Afghan Adjustment Act (75,000+ people) and a similar act for Ukrainians (300,000+ people). Newly arrived migrants are being funneled into a humanitarian system since that is the only way forward despite not everyone being eligible. Even municipalities - like here in NYC - are encouraging everyone to simply apply for asylum even if there may not be a nexus and the case would almost certainly eventually be denied since we have no system to allow people to work legally without that step. We need multifaceted solutions that can address labor shortages too.
Could congress allow all those with an NTA to have work permits without being on a path to citizenship? That would benefit not only the struggling workforce but also provide meaning and purpose. The case could be made that more folks are seeking asylum because so many of the legit work pathways have been shut down
I vote for immigration amnesty (green cards) for DACA recipients and all others who have been here for minimum of five years and haven't committed any violent crimes if they're not already on a path to LPR or citizenship. I realize that wouldn't be popular with some Americans, but you make a great point here about the declining (and aging) population. We need more workers and younger workers. This is one way to solve both problems in a humane manner.