Were the results of the congressional elections beneficial to the migrant community?
With the last Congressional elections that took place in November 2022, there was a realignment within both the nation’s House of Representatives and the Senate. With these changes of officers, the new Congress will begin its duties during 2023, and will finish its term in January 2025.
The voting was neither easy nor predictable, and the results were not strictly decisive. Both parties – Democrats and Republicans – obtained a slight majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
The real question now is: Is this good news for immigrants, and can plans for immigration reform be revived? At Jaskot Law, we’ll tell you all the ins and outs within the government, the possibilities of reform, and what migrant rights activists think.
Immigration reform… utopia or reality?
The country’s hopes for real change in immigration law were pinned on Joe Biden’s 117th Congress. His campaign promises included an immigration reform that would stabilize the immigration status of 11 million people. Unfortunately, the Administration’s plans were thwarted time and again due to political issues, and bipartisan struggles.
Migrant rights activists question Congress, where the majority was Democrat and had positioned itself in favor of the reform, for failing to pass the law. While there have been many opportunities for immigration reform bills to gain some national attention, they have never made it through the legislative power.
On the other hand, dreamers and their families remain stuck in legal limbo, depending now on what the Supreme Court decides about the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
All this has resulted in multiple protests, disappointments, and demands to the Biden Administration, which to date has failed to fulfill the promises it made to 11 million immigrants.
The new set up of the U.S. Congress
First, the Democrats have gained Control of the Senate with a number of 51 seats inside, while the Republicans have 49. For their part, the Republicans gained the lead in the U.S. House of Representatives, with 222 seats as opposed to 212 for the Democrats.
It is worth noting the record number of 149 women who achieved positions in Congress, both in the House and the Senate.
Are there Latinos in Congress?
Another piece of good news is that in the Congressional elections, numerous Hispanics won seats, representing the largest number of Latino representatives in the history of the country. There are 35 Democrats and 12 Republicans of Latino origin who will hold office, while in the 117th Congress there were 28 Democrats and only 10 Republicans.
While there has been little progress from Congress toward immigration reform, the outlook is not all bad. There is still hope that some agreement will finally be reached between the parties, and the long-awaited consensus on the immigration law will be achieved.
At Jaskot Law, we will always keep you informed about the immigration news. We are a team of lawyers specialized in status adjustments.
