Democratic presidential hopeful and billionaire Tom Steyer on Friday released a proposed rewrite of U.S. immigration laws, including plans for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the country and a restoration of Obama-era protections for young illegal immigrant “Dreamers.”
The plan says Mr. Steyer would work with Congress on a “fair, equitable, and expedited” pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
“Our immigration system has been plagued by racism and has reflected values dramatically different from those on which our country was founded,” said Mr. Steyer, an activist and former hedge fund manager. “As president, I will begin the healing process from Trump’s cruel and unjust approach.”
He would use executive action to reinstate protections for illegal immigrants brought to the country as children and illegal immigrant parents of U.S. citizens, end President Trump’s travel ban involving majority-Muslim countries and revamp the Temporary Protected Status program.
Mr. Steyer would also decriminalize illegal border crossings, reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and roll back programs that effectively deputize local law enforcement agents to enforce federal immigration law.
He would end policies that have led to the separation of families fleeing their home countries and stop the “Remain in Mexico” policy that requires certain asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases are being adjudicated.
Thanks to a surge in a pair of polls released on Thursday, Mr. Steyer is set to be one of at least six candidates on the debate stage in Des Moines next week.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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