By Roujin Mozaffarimehr
Today, President Biden reversed one of the immigration bans of 2020 by former President Trump. This ban was premised on claims that immigrants harm the U.S. economy – a premise wholeheartedly rejected by most economists.
Today’s proclamation ends the ban on issuance of certain immigrant visas abroad as set forth by Proclamation 10014 in April 22, 2020 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak), extended by Proclamation 10052 on June 22, 2020 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants and Nonimmigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak) and extended in duration by Proclamation 10131 on December 31, 2020 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants and Nonimmigrants Who Continue To Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak). MPLG published posts on Proclamation 10014 and Proclamation 10052 as they were put in place by the previous administration last year.
President Biden’s proclamation today states in part:
The suspension of entry imposed in Proclamation 10014…as extended by section 1 of Proclamation 10052…does not advance the interests of the United States. To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world. And it harms individuals who were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for, and those who have likewise received, immigrant visas through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery. Proclamation 10014 has prevented these individuals from entering the United States, resulting, in some cases, in the delay and possible forfeiture of their opportunity to receive Fiscal Year 2020 diversity visas and to realize their dreams in the United States.
As a result of today’s proclamation, persons that were previously banned from applying for immigrant visas are now able to pursue consular visa processing at consulates abroad.
UPDATED: This proclamation only ends the suspension on family-based and diversity visa issuance. The ban on certain non-immigrant visa classifications remains in effect until March 31, 2021.
If you have questions or have been impacted by the bans, please do not hesitate to reach out to the MPLG team.