Amid a controversy regarding tweets posted by President Donald Trump, the White House quietly released a 620-page immigration bill that already has support from several Republican senators.
The bill, which was co-authored by Jared Kushner, supposedly outlines many policies for border security and legal immigration. It does not reportedly have solutions for the millions of undocumented immigrants already living in Illinois and other states throughout the country.
When the original blueprint for a new immigration bill was announced, it received a heavy dose of skepticism and criticism from both members of Congress and the general public. Despite these issues, the White House continues to develop the legislation behind the scenes. The bill has yet to be introduced to either the House or the Senate, and it may never, but a Trump Administration official stated that they feel that the bill is complete and best represents Trump’s stance on the issue.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that any immigration legislation will need to be bipartisan, but any bill introduced by the Trump Administration is unlikely to get the support of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. This is because the bill would probably not have protections for Dreamers or the 11 million undocumented people currently in the country. It’s not clear if the president has any interest in getting Democratic support for his legislation.
Whether or not the Trump Administration is successful at passing new immigration legislation, any person going through the U.S. immigration system has the right to representation from a lawyer. Navigating the legal system can be very complex, so immigrants may benefit from having someone on their side who understands the law and court procedures. It’s the responsibility of an attorney to stay up to date on any new immigration laws passed by the federal government.