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President Joe Biden to address immigration reform with executive orders on Tuesday

President Joe Biden
Posted at 5:13 AM, Feb 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-02 10:10:32-05

President Joe Biden will sign several executive orders aimed at immigration reform on Tuesday, which attempt to roll back the harsh punishments for undocumented immigrants that were installed during the Trump administration.

The White House has already confirmed that Biden will sign an order that will establish a task force that aims to reunite children who were separate from their parents at the U.S. and Mexican border.

According to the Associated Press, court documents show that 5,500 children were separated from their parents at the border under a Trump-era policy, and about 600 of those children have yet to be reunited with their parents.

The task force will be led by Biden's nominee for Homeland Security Director, Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, ahead of the White House event.

Biden is also expected to sign an order pledging to change policies for asylum seekers that enter the U.S. through the southern border. Trump-era policies required asylum-seekers to "Remain in Mexico" while courts decided their cases, potentially putting asylum seekers from Mexico at risk.

However, the Biden administration has warned that enacting new policies could take.

"The situation at the border will not transform overnight, due in large part to the damage done over the last four years." the White House said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "But the President is committed to an approach that keeps our country safe, strong, and prosperous and that also aligns with our values."