Biden Makes More Immigration Moves (BTN #23)
Biden Tracking Newsletter #23: Day 972 (9/18) through Day 978 (9/24)
Venezuelans in Miami push for expanded TPS in 2021 (Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP)
This is the twenty-third edition of the Biden Tracking newsletter. This week, the Biden Administration announced several new immigration measures designed to stop another “crisis” at the southern border, announced the American Climate Corps, and saw his approval rating reach its lowest point of his presidency. It is Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, day 980 of the Biden presidency.
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Wednesday, September 20th (Day
Biden gives 500,000 Venezuelans Temporary Protected Status
On Wednesday, the Biden Administration gave nearly half a million Venezuelan migrants in the U.S. the opportunity to apply for temporary protected status (TPS). The program, which was created by Congress in 1990, protects migrants from deportation and gives them the ability to work legally. An estimated 472,000 additional Venezuelans are expected to qualify for TPS. The Biden Administration has resisted expanding the program due to concerns about encouraging more migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Those concerns are still evident. The cut-off date for the program is July 31, 2023, so migrants still fleeing the country won’t be eligible. The Biden Administration hopes that this will persuade Venezuelans to not cross the border illegally. This makes little sense. The Biden Administration is recognizing that there is a crisis but is addressing only part of the problem. People from Venezuela are still coming at record numbers and will still take up space in shelters, unable to work. The Biden Administration is doing some good things on the border, but this only fixes part of the problems.
Also, the Biden Administration announced they were deploying an additional 800 troops to the border. The new troops will focus on “logistics and other functions at the border to allow more Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers to return to their core mission and responsibilities.” Many activists have criticized prior such moves. Adding troops to the border does not help the migrants fleeing violence.
As part of the same announcement, the Biden Administration also said it would expedite the review of work permit requests for migrants who enter the U.S. at border ports of entry through a phone app-powered system and a program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans with American sponsors. They also announced that DHS will increase the validity period of work permits from two to five years for many migrants, including asylum-seekers, refugees, and green card applicants.
Biden announces American Climate Corps
On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced the American Climate Corps; a new program that will create jobs for projects like restoring land, improving communities' resilience to natural disasters, and deploying clean energy. The program is modeled after a program that put people to work during the Great Depression. The White House says that the American Climate Corps is designed to attract participants from disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by the changing climate. A climate corps has been a major progressive ask, pushed by activists like the Sunrise Movement. Biden promised to do it in an executive order during his first week in office, but there was little news about it until this week. However, there are still some progressive disappointments. Progressives pushed for more funding and more job offerings. The job offerings are especially disappointing. The New Deal era Civilian Conservation Corps employed millions; Biden’s program is only expected to employ 20,000.
Friday, September 22nd (Day )
Biden announces White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
On Friday, President Biden announced the establishment of a new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention which will "centralize, accelerate and intensify" the administration's efforts to deal with gun violence. Vice President Harris will oversee the office. The White House has tapped gun violence advocates, not career political operatives, to key roles as well including Greg Jackson, a gun violence survivor who heads up the Community Justice Action Fund, and Rob Wilcox of Everytown for Gun Safety. Activist groups, including March For Our Lives and Newtown Action Alliance, have advocated for years for such an office.
Sunday, December 24th (Day
Biden's disapproval rating hits the highest mark of his presidency
A new NBC News poll released on Sunday found that Biden’s disapproval rating has hit the highest mark of his presidency. 56 percent of people in the poll said they disapproved. Other worrying disapproval numbers include 54 percent of people ages 18 to 24, 57 percent of Latinos, and 64 percent of Independents. 74 percent of voters said they have major or moderate concerns that the 80-year-old President Biden doesn’t have the mental and physical capacity to be president; Only 44 percent said the same of the 77-year-old Trump. A hypothetical 2024 match-up in the poll shows Trump and Biden tied at 46 percent. Biden held a 4 percent lead over Trump in the same poll in June
Other News:
Fucking maddening.