By Warren Janssen, former USCIS Director and D4U Immigration Specialist
With the US elections approaching, scheduled for November 5, discussions on issues that directly impact the lives of millions of people are gaining even more prominence, and immigration is among the most hotly debated issues.
Warren Janssen, former director of USCIS and immigration expert at D4U Immigration, explores in this article how the candidates’ proposals and policies can shape the future of the US immigration system.
With his vast experience in the sector, Mr. Janssen brings his vision of the possible changes and their impact on immigrants and the country itself.
American elections
As an American citizen, I have voted in every presidential election since 1984, when I was 19. As an INS and USCIS immigration officer, I worked for Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, Trump and Biden.
Elections and presidents come and go. Many of the significant changes made by new administrations were executive actions and some significant legislative actions were signed by the president at the time.
In the last 15 to 25 years, the number of people applying for asylum has increased significantly, to the point where more than 10 to 20 million undocumented people from all over the world have entered the US and applied for asylum in recent years.
As a result, many of the legal immigrants’ cases and decisions were delayed and a special fee was also levied to support asylum and refugee programs.
As a former executive official, I believe in law and order, and I get upset when our system is being abused by economic refugees and asylees.
Forecast for 2025
My predictions for possible immigration changes made by Trump or Harris as president are as follows:
- It is difficult to determine what actions Harris would take, but based on previous comments, she supports a general amnesty and a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants and it is not known whether she would take significant steps to secure the borders.
- In his last term, Trump took significant steps to stem the tide of irregular immigration across the borders. He promised to bring back his old policies and also announced a program of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, with those with criminal records being prioritized ahead of the rest.
In short, I don’t believe that legal immigrants have anything to fear and should continue to fulfill their dreams and goals. The future is bright for the USA!