On Wednesday, February 24, U.S. President Joe Biden revoked a proclamation from his predecessor that blocked many green card applicants from entering the United States.
The Proclamation on Revoking Proklamation 10014 was published on the White House website.
Former President Donald Trump issued the ban last year, saying it was needed to protect U.S. workers amid high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden rejected that reasoning in a proclamation on Wednesday, rescinding the visa ban.
According to Biden, it does not advance U.S. interests.
“To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world. And it harms individuals who were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for, and those who have likewise received, immigrant visas through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery,“ he stated in the proclamation.
It's worth noting that Joe Biden, a Democrat, has pledged to reverse many of Trump’s hardline immigration policies.