Immigrant Rights Advocates Hail Partial End of Immigration Ban

New York, NY-Yesterday, President Joe Biden revoked his predecessor’s extremist immigrant visa ban. Last spring, the Trump administration halted the issuance of green cards until the end of 2020 citing the need to “protect” the coronavirus-wracked job market. On December 31, President Trump extended the ban through March 2021. In Wednesday’s proclamation, the Biden administration flatly rejected the previous administration’s actions, noting that shutting the door on legal immigrants “does not advance the interests of the United States.” While President Biden has now revoked Proclamation 10014, which prevented the entry of immigrants, he has not taken action to revoke the entry ban on nonimmigrant temporary workers.

Murad Awawdeh and Rovika Rajkishun, Interim Co-Executive Directors of the New York Immigration Coalition:

“We applaud President Biden’s decision to lift this ban which did nothing to halt the economic crisis gripping our country, but instead tore families apart and inflicted massive suffering on our communities. Now, this White House must turn the page completely, and revoke the ban on nonimmigrant workers. The New York Immigration Coalition will continue to work with the Biden-Harris administration to erase Trump’s heinous legacy and build a truly just immigration system.”