2021 US Citizenship Act Would Expand Federal Hiring and Workforce Reforms for Homeland Security Agencies

President Joe Biden and his administration recently proposed the 2021 U.S. Citizenship Act to Congress, where Democrats have introduced it in both chambers. The act would revamp the immigration system in the United States and reverse many immigration initiatives that were introduced by the Trump administration. The plan includes several reforms aimed at improving the homeland security workforce.

The plan would raise certain caps on who is allowed in the country and would create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals who currently live in the United States. This bill would authorize increased appropriations for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in order to ensure the agency’s effectiveness.

USCIS currently faces a large backlog of asylum seekers, staffing shortages, and budget shortfalls. Under the bill, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be able to bring in part-time, temporary employees to assist with implementing the immigration overhaul. There are currently 1.3 million pending cases in immigration court, and the bill would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hire 200 new immigration judges.

The bill strives to supplement existing border resources with technology and infrastructure. This focus would bolster the resources already in place at the border to prevent contraband and immigrants from entering the country illegally.

Furthermore, new employees hired by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would receive onboarding training pertaining to accountability, professional and ethical conduct, community policing, cultural awareness, and oversight. CBP would also be required to provide paramedic training to some of its agents. For every thirty officers, there would be one Office of Professional Responsibility special agent to investigate misconduct.

This legislation will likely change as it moves through Congress. In the words of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reported in GovExec, “The sausage that comes out of the machine on the other side will look different than the sausage that comes out today.”