Biden adviser Tanden slams deportation policies impacting mixed-status families

US President Joe Biden’s domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden has slammed those political groups who are trying to “restrict” legal migration from Asian countries and other parts of the globe and said their policy of deportation would many a time impact the near and dear ones of people who have legally migrated to the US.

“I will just say there’s a lot of conversation about immigration. Both people, our administration, the others have been focused on securing our border. But there is a big difference between national leaders on the issue of legal immigration. Our community has grown in part because this country has seen expansions of legal immigration as crucially important,” Tanden told PTI.

“But that is a big difference… There are people who want to restrict legal immigration, specifically legal immigration from Asia and other parts of the globe. That is an issue that’s really at stake. I don’t think there’s been enough discussion of that, those sets of issues,” Tanden said in an apparent dig at the policies of former president Donald Trump who is now the Republican presidential candidate.

“While this administration has been focused on expanding support for documented dreamers for others, there’s more work we need to do. We also need to ensure that if we are talking about mass deportation, that will include mixed-status families where there are citizens and non-citizens, maybe aunties and uncles visiting, but also means we really could be seeing restrictions on legal immigration as well,” Tanden said.

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“So, in the President’s, and really most importantly, the vice president’s plan around the border bill, there were provisions there to expand legal immigration and particularly provide support to documented dreamers. And this is a crucial priority.

“Unfortunately, that bill was taken down by Republicans because then the nominee, Donald Trump told them to vote against it. That was a crucial provision there to ensure that we are expanding legal immigration and particularly focusing on the needs of documented dreamers. It’s unfortunate that it was taken down by Republicans in the Senate,” she said.

Asked how Trump’s policies on legal immigration are going to hit Indian Americans, she said, “I’m not really here to talk about a presidential candidate, but I will say that you look back to what Trump proposed in his first administration. He proposed ensuring that we would restrict access to legal immigration from countries in Asia and expand it in countries from Europe or keep it the same.”

“He really did look at restrictions from, particularly from India and lowered the numbers dramatically. He wasn’t able to do that because there were Democrats in Congress and in the Senate. But if they take all three branches of government and his rhetoric has been much more aggressive on immigration, that is a real challenge,” Tanden said.

“I’m not here to talk about what he will do because I will say that you can look at what he could do from what he tried to do last time, and there’ll be fewer guardrails this time. I think people should really look at, I do hear so much about the concerns about bringing family members over, all of that will end if the country goes in a particular direction,” Tanden said.