Why I Support Joe Biden for President of the United States: Immigration

For many years, Congress has been unwilling to do its work in relation to immigration. Perhaps they think it is a better political football as long as they do nothing.

This month, Joe Biden has been trying to do what Congress failed to do. 

But, my background. . . I am the granddaughter of an immigrant. Here he is, Joe (Jan Josef) Ellstrom.

This is the boat on which he came to the United States, the S.S. Oceanic.

And this is the manifest that was recorded on Ellis Island when he arrived.

If you look closely, you will see that this was August of 1906, he was just 18, and all he had was $11.00 and a ticket to go to Altoona, PA, where his older brother had already come and established residence. 

Yes, I trust immigrants, for I come from immigrant stock. I know they are hard working and smart. I know they are not, as a whole, criminals, polygamists, or anarchists. (Check that manifest above.) I also know that, given the opportunity, those immigrants bring more to the United States than they take. 

This week, the candidate for president that I support, Joe Biden took executive action, because Republicans in Congress failed to act. Note, the Democratic party worked hard to build a bipartisan bill that could have been approved. I am quoting the "1440 Daily Digest."

President Joe Biden unveiled a new policy yesterday [June 18, 2024] granting a path to permanent residency for hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the US. The “parole in place” program applies to people with no criminal record who have lived in the US for at least 10 years and have been legally married to a US citizen as of June 17.

 

Those who qualify can live and work in the US for three years while they apply for citizenship. An estimated 500,000 spouses and 50,000 children, with a parent married to a US citizen, stand to meet the basic requirements—there are roughly 1.1 million immigrants in the US with citizen spouses. 

 

Announced on the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the policy also includes faster work permit approvals for DACA applicants and follows Biden’s recent executive action to reduce migrants at the US-Mexico border. Applications are expected to open by the end of summer.

I am pleased to  know that Joe Biden is working to build a strong citizenry by respecting immigrants, their spouses, and children. 

If you want to read more about another Executive Action designed to secure the southern border, read this fact sheet:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-secure-the-border/#:~:text=President%20Biden%20issued%20a%20proclamation,into%20the%20United%20States%20unlawfully.

This action was announced on June 4 after Congress failed to take action when Republicans voted against the bipartisan bill that they helped to draft.

I will be voting for Joe Biden in November.  I encourage you to do the same.

Another picture - my grandfather's oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.