A SANCTUARY COUNTRY: 2020 Democrats want the U.S. to be more like immigrant-friendly California

Democrats competing for the White House have introduced plans that could offer citizenship for the 2 million undocumented immigrants who call the Golden State home.

Some of the proposals would go further than the protections California has already offered, which include health care for young undocumented immigrants and a 2017 “sanctuary” law that limits local police departments’ interactions with federal immigration enforcement officers.

The candidates have proposed national plans to overturn President Donald Trump’s immigration orders. They want to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protected immigrants who were brought to the country at a young age. Trump halted the program in 2017.

And they’ve promised to end policies like the so-called Muslim ban and the separation of children and families at the Mexico border. They want to allow in more refugees and clean up the asylum process.

Here’s a look at their plans.

Bernie Sanders

The Vermont Independent senator pledged “on day one” to sign an executive order that restores and expands DACA protections for 1.8 million eligible young immigrants and their parents, and those with Temporary Protected Status and parents of legal residents. He also wants anyone who arrived in the U.S. before 18 to be eligible for DACA.

Nearly 30 percent of the 660,880 active DACA recipients live in California, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Sanders is also promising a moratorium on deportations until the Office of the Inspector General conducts a “thorough audit of past practices and policies.” Sanders says he’ll restructure the Department of Homeland Security and break up Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Sanders proposes redirecting some immigration enforcement resources to creating labor standards for immigrant workers.

He wants to partner with nonprofits as an alternative to detention centers. Many of his signature proposals, including Medicare for All and College for All, would additionally apply to immigrants, regardless of status.

He would create a $14 billion federal grant program for public defenders and open it to people regardless of immigration status.

Joe Biden

The former vice president said officials should prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants only if they’ve committed a “major crime” and pose a significant safety and national security risk to the public.

Biden’s campaign underscores the need for a “regional strategy” to mitigate crime and corruption in Central American countries like El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. He promises a four-year, $4 billion assistance package for these countries to reduce gang- and domestic violence that forces migrants to flee their home countries.

Biden says he would strengthen training for and oversight of enforcement agencies. He also proposes tripling the number of 10,000 visas allotted for those fleeing violence and abuse.

Biden’s proposal includes a path to legal status, including a streamlined green card process and citizenship option, for agricultural workers who’ve dedicated years of their labor to U.S. farms. He also wants a new visa category established so rural cities and struggling cities can apply for more immigrants to work in their regions.

Read about the rest of the Candidates plans HERE.

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