The White House has announced its proposed immigration reform, including an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of immigrants and removing the term “alien” from U.S. laws. Most of the headline policies have already been outlined by President Joe Biden—but Thursday’s announcement will begin the long, uphill slog to persuade Congress to pass sweeping changes to immigration law. The legislation would cut the time to acquire citizenship to eight years instead of 13, but, to be eligible for that plan, applicants must have arrived in the country before Jan. 1, 2021. CNN reports that it would also remove the word “alien” from immigration laws, replacing it with the term “noncitizen,” which the Biden administration says will “better reflect the president’s values on immigration.” The legislation will also address the “root causes” of migration to the southwest border by spending $4 billion to fight corruption and reduce poverty in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
