Within the Biden administration’s first month in office, Senator Robert Menendez and Representative Linda Sanchez released a bicameral proposal for comprehensive immigration reform, the United States Citizenship Act of 2021, cosponsored by eighty members of Congress to “provide an earned path to citizenship, to address the root causes of migration and responsibly manage the southern border, and to reform the immigrant visa system, and for other purposes.”

That the Biden administration exercised political capital early on in this term suggests that immigration reform is a priority. Within the 353-page proposal, there are real departures from the existing piecemeal system in place today.

Biden’s proposal recognizes the harm inflicted by previous and current policies and acknowledges that a different approach is necessary. It breaks from the usual demands that have escalated the use of force, resources, and tax dollars, especially since September 11. The bill revises terminology, striking the word “alien” and replacing it with the term “noncitizen” in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Most notably, however, is its focus on the “root causes of migration.” Though “root causes” has been included in previous proposals, it’s not been at the forefront as it is in the current bill. And, on February 4, Biden passed an executive order to examine how climate change will affect migration flows, understanding that the increased displacement of people due to environmental factors is inevitably in our future.