On Thursday, Democrats introduced in Congress the US Citizenship Act of 2021 on immigration reform backed by US President Joe Biden. This reform project paves the way for the naturalization of some 11 million irregular migratory immigrants living in the United States.

This bill would also grant undocumented migrants present in the United States on January 1, 2021, a temporary legal status allowing them to apply for the "green card" within five years, under certain criteria. Three years later, they would be eligible for US citizenship.

The reform also opens the way to naturalization for the 700,000 "Dreamers". For these "Dreamers", beneficiaries under Temporary Protection Status (TPS) and agricultural workers, the reform proposes immediate legal residence and citizenship three years later.

However, to pass this important bill, it will be necessary to obtain 60 votes in the Senate, where the Democrats have only 50 seats like the Republicans. A vote that is far from certain given the opposition of Republicans to this project, but also the opposition of some moderate Democratic senators.

HL/ HaitiLibre