Bernie Sanders' immigration plan calls for DACA expansion, 'breaking up' ICE and CBP


Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) immigration plan doesn't have a lot of surprises.
The 2020 candidate has pushed for a progressive immigration agenda throughout his presidential run, campaigning on a promise to decriminalize illegal border crossings and expand DACA protections. Those, along with a complete rejection of President Trump's immigration policies, take shape in Sanders' plan for "a welcoming and safe America for all" unveiled Thursday.
Sanders' plan starts with a bold pledge for the first day of his presidency: He'll "overturn all of President Trump's actions to demonize and harm immigrants," his plan says. That includes a promise to end "the barbaric practice of ripping children from their parents and locking children in cages," and to "thoroughly audit and close detention centers." Next up will be a look at what causes people to take risky journeys to the U.S. in the first place, with Sanders calling for a "summit of leaders from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and other countries to address the root causes of migration."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sanders then goes on to describe more priorities that'll take a bit more time to accomplish, including an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents programs. And while he stops short of a full call to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, he does say he'll "break up" those agencies.
Find all of Sanders' plan here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetime
Feature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’
Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens
Feature A permanent new museum
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies