It was widely reported earlier in the week that the immigration provisions that were in the proposed Build Back Better bill were taken out. However, according to recent reports, those immigration provisions are back in the Build Back Better bill.
The latest news
Originally valued at over $3 trillion, the newest version of the BBB bill has been trimmed to $1.75 trillion. And, while the original version seemed to include some pathway to citizenship, the new immigration provisions are slimmed down, but, nonetheless, included.
What are the new immigration provisions?
The new immigration provisions allow for undocumented immigrants that are currently living in the U.S. authorization to work for up to 10 years. There is not citizenship component to that authorization, but it does make working legal for the estimated 11 million undocumented U.S. residents. The immigration provisions also claw-back visas that were set to expire, which includes 222,000 unused family-based visas and about 157,000 employment-based visas.
How does it work in practice?
The work authorizations are not automatic for Royal Oak, Michigan, residents or residents generally. Instead, it uses the immigration process known as parole. This waives the immigration requirements for five years, if the undocumented residents were in the U.S. prior to 2011. And, if approved, five-year extensions can be sought and granted, which would allow them to stay in the U.S. until 2031. This would, essentially, put these 11 million undocumented residents in the same legal, temporary status as the “Dreamers.”
What about social services?
Though, there is no language that addresses whether these individuals will be able to access social services. This is another change because prior language specifically stated that they could not access those service. This, however, does not mean social services will be available, only that there may be an argument for them, should the BBB bill pass.