The Democratic National Committee endorsed a plan that would offer amnesty to illegal aliens who were deported under former president Donald Trump and invite them back to the United States.
The official Democratic Party platform supports the passage of the U.S. Citizenship Act, a bill that was sent to Congress by the Biden-Harris administration on January 20, 2021. That bill would create a sweeping amnesty process for the millions of illegal aliens currently residing in the country. But a provision also allows those who were "removed from or who departed the United States on or after January 20, 2017" if they resided in the country for three years prior to apply for amnesty as well.
Such a proposal would constitute one of the most radical changes to the nation’s immigration policy in history. Roughly 1.5 million illegal aliens were deported by the Trump administration, including tens of thousands each year who were guilty of serious crimes such as sexual assault.
Vice President Kamala Harris has applauded the bill on several occasions. In June 2021, she thanked U.S. senator Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) for "leading the way on the U.S. Citizenship Act."
Last February, Harris said in a statement that "on the first day of our administration, we sent a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress that included an increase in funding for border security and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, such as Dreamers who have been here for years." The statement makes no mention of offering citizenship to those who were deported under her predecessor.
A spokeswoman for Harris’s presidential campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Deported aliens who had been convicted of two or fewer misdemeanor offenses would be eligible for amnesty, under the Democratic proposal. Misdemeanor convictions related to marijuana would not count towards an alien's eligibility, nor would "minor traffic offenses."
It wouldn’t be the first time that Democrats have imported immigrants who were deported by the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration began quietly flying back Cameroonians who were deported under Trump. That program, which was not announced to the public, was allegedly implemented in order to avoid lawsuits from left-wing activists groups who claimed that the migrants were mistreated by immigration authorities.
It is unknown whether that program is still ongoing or whether it has been applied to other foreign nationals.
Immigration is a top voter concern following the unprecedented number of illegal border crossings that have taken place under the Biden-Harris administration. More than eight million illegal aliens have crossed the southern border illegally since Biden and Harris took office, which has led to immense stress on social services in cities across the country.
Where Harris stands on immigration policy now that she is running for president is an ongoing question. On Thursday, an unnamed adviser told Fox News that Harris has modified a number of positions related to the border.
Although she previously claimed that she would decriminalize illegal border crossings, an unnamed campaign official said she now believes "unauthorized border crossings are illegal." Nor does Harris, according to that same unnamed official, still believe the federal government should abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"Like everything with Donald Trump, it’s never been about helping the country, it's only about helping himself. There’s only one candidate in this race who will fight for bipartisan solutions to strengthen border security, and that’s Vice President Harris," a spokesman said.