It has been 1 year since the first Covid-19 lockdown and the country has undergone many changes. Leaving home without a mask is worse than leaving your phone or keys. Gatherings have become more intimate and everything is just a little harder to do because of restrictions and places being short on staff.
For many immigrants, the pandemic has caused additional stress, consular interviews have faced serious delays with some people waiting a full year for an interview, adjustments of status are delayed, and immigration courts have been closed for hearings adding a layer of uncertainty to the lives of millions in this country. The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel for many hard-working immigrants trying to feed their families and survive a pandemic without getting aid from the government like the rest of the population.
The light is a change from the isolationist and bigoted regime that has oppressed immigrants and changed laws to make even humanitarian process like asylum difficult and tailored to exclude Latin American immigrants from benefiting. A new president, a change in control of the senate and a change in control of the House of Representatives could mean a New America. This new control has the option not only to undo the damage that was done to the immigration system by the Trump Regime but also to open new doors and new opportunities for law abiding immigrants in this county.
President Biden has come in swinging with a new immigration plan that could mean that many families in our Berks County community can enjoy peace of mind and be full participants in our local economy, community and eventually our local politics. His plan would open doors for many of our neighbors, friends, and colleagues to gain provisional immigrant status, Green Cards and even a path to citizenship as well as clear up some of the archaic policies that have led to the largest immigration backlog that we have seen in many years. Those with DACA and TPS will also have a more permanent solution by being eligible for Green cards.
Just like the DACA program changed the lives of thousands in this community this wider program could benefit our community both financially and emotionally.
Abraham Cepeda, Attorney at Law
