Congressional Democrats on Feb. 18 introduced a comprehensive immigration bill, backed by the Biden administration, that aims to create a new path to citizenship for undocumented workers while strengthening the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.
The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021—which is sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.)—would provide undocumented immigrants with an eight-year path to citizenship. Undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. by Jan. 1, 2021, would be eligible for five-year temporary status. After that, they can apply for a green card, which is a three-year process.