Immigrant advocates are still waiting for their moment.
Nearly two years into the Biden administration, having watched many of their progressive brethren score significant and historic breakthroughs on their respective causes, they’re getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of action on theirs. And a bit jealous too.
In conversations with more than a dozen immigrant advocates, many said they fully recognize the hurdles this White House faces in pushing policy and change through. Among them is a court system that has consistently struck down its efforts to reverse immigration restrictions put in placeunder Donald Trump.
Still, they argued that President Joe Biden is nowhere close to fulfilling his campaign promises to build a “fair and humane,” modernized immigration system. They believe his administration hasn’t prioritized immigration reform, even shying away from the subject in the run-up to midterms, fearful of how Republicans might spin any action.
Such disappointment is common within immigration advocacy circles, where operatives have toiled for decades on ill-fated attempts to move policy. But this cycle, they say, it stings worse. That’s because they’ve watched asBiden has delivered on promises for so many other interest groups:
Advocates for student debt forgiveness celebrated recently after the White House announced$10,000 of student debt for millions of people and up to $20,000 of debt for low- and middle-income borrowers who previously received a Pell Grant.
Marijuana activists watched in glee as Biden pardoned thousands of people convicted of federal marijuana possession and inched closer to his campaign pledge to decriminalize weed.
Gun safety groups got the first major legislation passed by Congress in nearly three decades signed into law, and they continue to hear the president fight to ban assault weapons.
Climate activists scored the biggest win of all, with the passage of the $370 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act carved out for climate change.
President Joe Biden signs his first executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 20, 2021.