President Biden Issues Proclamation Revoking Trump’s COVID-19 Immigration Bans

On February 24, 2021 President Biden signed into effect a Presidential Proclamation revoking a series of Immigration related Presidential Proclamations. President Biden’s newest proclamation revokes Presidential Proclamations 10014 (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), as extended by section 1 of Proclamation 10052 (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 section 1 of Proclamation 10131 (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). The revoked proclamations restricted the legal entry into the U.S. of many qualified nonimmigrants and immigrants seeking visas.

President Biden’s proclamation stresses that the bans did not advance the interests of the United States, but rather harmed individuals, U.S. family members and the U.S. economy by virtually halting all legal immigration. The now revoked proclamations prevented family members of U.S citizens and lawful permanent residents from being united with their families in the U.S. and kept U.S. employers from being able to “utilize talent from around the world.” Additionally, the bans have precluded individuals who were selected to apply for and who received visas through the 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery from entering the U.S.; more than 120,000 family-based visas and thousands of diversity visas were lost in fiscal year 2020. According to Forbes, a US State Department spokesperson confirmed that there were at least 473,000 immigrant visa applicants still awaiting an interview. The American Immigration Lawyer’s Association’s Director of Federal Litigation, Jesse Bless, aptly characterized the bans as “a preventable tragedy that has kept fathers and mothers from children, spouse from spouse, and exacerbated the stress and anxiety over the last year for many families.”

Along with revoking the proclamations, President Biden’s proclamation directs that the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Homeland Security must review any regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, etc. developed because of Proclamation 10014 and that these agencies must issue revised guidance consistent with Biden’s revocation of the proclamations. Covid-19 continues to affect U.S. visa processing at consulates and embassies all over the world. The Biden administration is working to prioritize keeping families together, growing the economy, and ensuring that the U.S. remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution and working to realize their dreams. President Biden’s most recent Presidential Proclamation is one of many that have come under the new administration’s commitment to “restore humanity and American values to our immigration system.”

If you need assistance or advisement regarding an immigration matter that will be affected by this new proclamation, please contact us at 716-854-7525 or www.srwborderlawyers.com/contact to schedule a consultation.