However, the Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the dealing with the Federal courts, are still under the Department of Justice (DOJ). This Department also rules on the legality of actions and directives of the other Departments. This is why the DOJ is so important for anybody dealing with immigration or citizenship matters.
President Biden finally got the new “chief” that he wanted for the Department of Justice: Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Previously, Mr. Garland served as Judge and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Circuit of Washington, D.C. This court is considered the second in importance after the Supreme Court of the U.S.
A reminder: when President Obama appointed Judge Garland to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Republicans in the Senate blocked this appointment.
With this new Attorney General, it is expected that there will be many changes in the policies of the various immigration agencies and courts.
POLITICAL DILEMNA
There is no doubt that President Biden wants to make liberalizing changes in the immigration system of the U.S. But he may be running into a political difficulty: the increase of illegal entries through the southern border of the U.S., especially of unaccompanied children and youngsters, may cause a political backlash against any liberalization of immigration policies.
How will President Biden handle this situation?
