WASHINGTON , — Senate Democrats may propose that the government use its parole power to allow approximately 7 million migrants to temporarily stay in the United States. This is the latest attempt to include broad immigration language in a comprehensive domestic policy bill, aides said Wednesday.
This idea is being promoted as President Joe Biden, Democratic leaders work to resolve major disagreements within the party over the final size and scope of the social-environment legislation and the initiatives that it will include.
For Latino and progressive lawmakers, it is a top priority to help immigrants stay in the country. To push the bill through Congress, it will require close to unanimous Democratic support.
This latest Democratic proposal is the result of two previous failed attempts to convince the Senate’s nonpartisan Parliamentarian that the bill should include immigration provisions.
A 1952 law gives the government the power to allow immigrants to stay temporarily in the country, even if they are already there. This law, which has been updated multiple times, but not used yet to affect millions of people simultaneously, allows the homeland security secretary to have parole authority.
One immigration advocate spoke under anonymity to discuss internal planning and said that Democrats would consider language to indicate that parole could be granted for those who have been in the U.S. for at least five years.
Although the provisions in question would not allow paroled immigrants to become legal permanent residents, or citizens, they do not provide any way for them to do so. The advocate stated that approximately 1 million of these immigrants would be eligible to use existing procedures to obtain this status.
Democratic leaders are considering the idea, but have not yet made a decision, according to three Senate Democratic aides. They would only disclose the status of the proposal under strict anonymity.
Lorella Praeli (co-president of progressive group Community Change Action) spoke Wednesday to reporters and said that the parole option would be “likely” an option Democrats consider.
