It has been tradition for presidential candidates to create campaign promises for their first 100 days. This tradition started with former president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used the beginning of his first term to combat the negative effects the Great Depression was having on America at the time. During President Joe Biden’s campaign for presidency, he stated there would be no deportations in his first 100 days.
It was during a primary debate in March 2020 that President Biden made this declaration. This was supposed to help reverse the damage that former President Donald Trump’s strict deportation policy caused. Biden also stated during the debate that after his first three months of presidency, “the only deportations that will take place are commissions of felonies in the United States.”
The Biden-Harris administration has done quite the opposite of what they promised, with deportations taking place in record numbers. As President Biden approaches 100 days since taking office, United We Dream — a nationwide organization advocating for immigrant rights — has estimated that at least 127,400 immigrants have been deported under Biden’s administration.
Title 42, a policy left over from the Trump-Pence administration, has also contributed to the amount of deportations. This policy authorizes eviction of non-citizens from the United States without following the proper rules and procedures, and also closes the border for nonessential travel. Title 42 is still in effect, which has allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to be weaponized in an attempt to refuse immigrants access to asylum and due process. Along with being forced out of the United States, there are immigrants being kept in overcrowded facilities, putting them at risk for exposure to COVID-19.
With the Biden-Harris administration’s broken promises has come a call for action. The same communities that rallied at the polls to elect Biden are now calling on him to hold himself accountable. For those interested in learning more about the situation and accessing petitions, United We Dream’s website has more information.
By Maggie Barnhill, Staff Writer