Attorney: Biden's immigration bill is 'an answer to our prayers'

On the day President-elect Joe Biden takes office Wednesday, he'll roll out a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. What could that mean for Long Islanders?
Biden says he plans on introducing the immigration bill on his first day in office. It would create a path to U.S. citizenship for more than 10 million people. If the bill passes, it would take up to eight years to obtain citizenship for some.
But immigration attorney Victoria Campos says it could take closer to three years for those who have some legal status, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients who came to the U.S. as children.
Campos says Biden's bill requires a background check and paying taxes. She thinks the plan will have a positive impact on millions of lives.
"It's an answer to our prayers. I have been dealing with clients - they're desperate, they're in the shadows, they're good people, working here in this country for many years, paying taxes. And they just want an opportunity to legalize their status and feel safe," says Campos.
Jessica Alberto, who works for Campos, moved to Long Island from El Salvador when she was 11 years old, saying she lives in the country legally under DACA.
She says Biden's plan to give her a path to citizenship would help her realize her dream of going to law school.
Campos says that Biden's plan applies to people already living and working in the U.S.
"People living in this country for a number of years, it's not for people just crossing the border," she says.
Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino sent a statement to News 12 about Biden's proposal, saying, "With nearly 30,000 Dreamers living in the Empire State, it is important that Congress passes commonsense immigration reform. I look forward to reviewing the president-elect's immigration proposal once it has been shared with Congress."