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Nicole Hester

Biden says he will 'create a roadmap to citizenship' for undocumented Irish

The Democratic nominee said he will ensure there will be no US-UK trade deal if Brexit puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk.

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE Joe Biden said he will “create a roadmap for citizenship” for 11 million undocumented people in the United States – including undocumented Irish citizens. 

In a statement released by his campaign titled ‘Joe Biden, Irish-America and Ireland’, Biden – whose ancestors emigrated from Ireland in the 1800s – said he “rejects” President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and said that he will prioritise legislation to allow 11 million undocumented people to apply for citizenship. 

“[Biden] will prioritize legislation to create a roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people who have been strengthening our country for years and preserve the longstanding directive of our immigration system to reunite families and enhance our diversity,” the statement said. 

It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 15,000 undocumented Irish people living in America.

The statement continued: “[Biden] has shown immigration reform leadership informed by empathy and an understanding of Ireland’s experience – especially the challenge of today’s younger Irish who left Ireland during the Eurozone crash.”

Biden – who has previously made clear his opposition to a hard border – also said he will ensure there will be no US-UK trade deal if Brexit puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk.

Addressing a number of other key issues, Biden said he will support engagement “to advance the Northern Ireland peace process” and “will work closely with Ireland in the UN Security Council”, which Ireland won a seat on in June. 

Biden has previously spoken of his Irish roots. During a visit to Ireland in 2016 he travelled to Mayo and Louth where his ancestors emigrated from during The Great Famine. 

Biden is currently polling ahead of Donald Trump leading up to 3 November. 

“If Biden keeps these not insubstantial leads and the Scranton native prevails in each, he will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States in January,” Law lecturer Larry Donnelly – writing for TheJournal.ie – said this morning. 

President Trump, meanwhile, held back-to-back rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin yesterday. 

 Trump sought to paint Democrats as “anti-American radicals” and said moderates had “a moral duty” to join the Republican Party.

“The Democrat Party you once knew doesn’t exist,” he said.

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52 Comments
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    Mute Derek Moean
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:22 AM

    Would be nice if he does..

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:40 AM

    @Derek Moean: It would good if he played an active roll like Bill Clinton did as President. But we will have to wait and see.

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    Mute T Dawg
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:46 AM

    @Joe Johnson: Bill was especially active in certain areas!

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    Mute Aoife Dooley
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:17 AM

    @Derek Moean: LMAO…he’s been in politics for 47 years and achieved absolutely nothing, he’s just clutching for the Irish-American vote on the last hurdle…so sad.

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:28 AM

    @Aoife Dooley: 100%

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    Mute Tadhg
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:32 AM

    @Aoife Dooley: Sure he was only Vice President for 8 years. Elected as senator 6 times before that. Helped Obama negotiate with Republicans to pass various tough bills. His little pinky finger has done more in 8 years than you have over your lifetime. LMAO

    53
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    Mute Aoife Dooley
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:57 AM

    @Tadhg: Firstly you know nothing about me so attacking me personally says more about you than me. Secondly name something he has achieved politically, not financially cos he’s a multimillionaire which a lifetime politician should never be (aka corruption).

    37
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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Oct 18th 2020, 12:22 PM

    @Aoife Dooley: A quick Google and I found this. “He co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 with Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. The law, which was incorporated into the larger crime bill, provided $1.6 billion to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed victims to sue their attackers in civil court even if prosecutors didn’t proceed criminally.’

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Oct 18th 2020, 1:04 PM

    @Aoife Dooley: so, becoming Vice President is “absolutely nothing”? You do you

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    Mute Keith Richardson
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    Oct 18th 2020, 1:30 PM

    @Aoife Dooley: we’ll done you you’ve just schooled the simple

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    Mute Keith Richardson
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    Oct 18th 2020, 1:36 PM

    @Aoife Dooley: he’s as corrupt as they come but noting written about him Trump is as clean as a whistle and he’s been scrutinized and attacked from day one but NOTING stuck it’s a funny world we live in… sheep are sheep

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    Mute Siobhán Kirby
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    Oct 21st 2020, 1:26 AM

    @Keith Richardson: Clean as a whistle…. are you sure about that though…. Trump is a wee little pox of a man on the best of days.

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    Mute 2thFairy
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:07 AM

    He’s talking about illegal immigrants. Why is there such a nice title like “undocumented Irish” given to one sector of people breaking a law.

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    Mute NotaWarder
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:03 AM

    @2thFairy: because being an illegal immigrant is OK if you’re white and speak English

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    Mute John kane
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:49 AM

    @NotaWarder: and we should be grateful for that rule

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    Mute SC
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:57 AM

    Why? We are allowed to go to any country in the EU to live and work if we want to move abroad. We have a similar standard of living to the US. It’s not like they’re refugees or fleeing a warzone. Why feel sorry for them? Countries are allowed to control who comes in.

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    Mute Jurga Moylan
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:39 AM

    And when you apply and its rejected, they have your every detail and will simply pluck you from the street and have you on the next flight out. You’d want to think carefully before basically handing yourself in.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:24 AM

    How many candidates have said this down through the years. He doesn’t have to lie to beat trump

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    Mute thomas patrick
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:51 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: actually he does.. and probably is…
    Terrible to think that out of approx 330m Americans these are the two that up for the gig

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    Mute King B
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:10 AM

    @thomas patrick: And it’s a slight improvement on the last election.

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    Mute Aoife Dooley
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:18 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: Obviously he thinks he does.

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    Mute Maurice O Neill
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:35 AM

    That’s a fine commitment he is making there. Only problem he has is with the Supreme Court who would strike it down

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:19 AM

    @Maurice O Neill: he can pack the court. 4 extra bringing it to 13 judges and a liberal leaning.

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    Mute Aoife Dooley
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:19 AM

    @Paul Whitehead: https://youtu.be/O_lBVmrLfeQ

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    Mute Maurice O Neill
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:21 AM

    @Paul Whitehead: I doubt that

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    Mute T Dawg
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:26 AM

    Biden for Taoiseach!

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    Mute Richard Russell
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:30 AM

    @T Dawg: Trump for president

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    Mute Alison Corcoran
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:51 AM

    @Richard Russell: agree Trump 2020

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    Mute T Dawg
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:53 AM

    @Alison Corcoran: Sorry Alison the presidential election isn’t until 2025. Trump will have had a nice 5 years off to prep for competing against Bono, Dustin and Dana

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    Mute Ned Gerblansky
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:00 AM

    Illegal immigrants shouldn’t be given preferential treatment just because they form part of the ancestry of America’s political class.

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    Mute Hugo Haye-Wyre
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:03 AM

    Why does someone who goes to the US and works illegally get upset about their status there and think they should have any right to citizenship. You knew before you went what the deal was. If you don’t like it stay at home.

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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Oct 18th 2020, 12:26 PM

    @Hugo Haye-Wyre: It’s only the white illegals who get upset.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:05 AM

    The headline reads like Biden is doing it just for Irish illegals.

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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:11 AM

    @John Flood: i agree, I was going to defend the Mexican’s, and others, right to equality as enshrined in the constitution, but the article does that. However, if Trump won votes by promising to build a wall to keep Mexicans out, Biden is giving them a “roadmap”, it is my opinion that a wall trumps allowing the illegals become legal and this could be used against Biden

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    Mute Stephen S
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:50 AM

    They promise a load of things but deliver practically none of it. Also, bad news for the UK doesn’t automaticallly mean good news for us, mostly people who run businesses would know that.

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    Mute David Law
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:28 AM

    I’ve always found this to be such a strange issue for Irish politicians to be constantly bringing up in bilateral meetings. Firstly, Irish illegals in the US don’t live, pay tax or vote here…so why do they have such a strong lobby in the form of our government? Second, I don’t see our government rushing to ‘create a roadmap’ for undocumented immigrants here…they just get deported! Why the hypocrisy?

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    Mute Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:58 AM

    @David Law: there is a commitment in the current programme for government to regularise undocumented migrants in Ireland before the end of 2021

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    Mute Virus-free Turkey
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:10 AM

    @Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: Ah yes! Government commitments. Don’t ya just love em.

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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:27 AM

    @David Law: according to a quick google search 6 million or between 50% and 75% of “illegals” or “undocumented” pay taxes in the USA according to the IRS. In fact they contribute a lot to the US economy, but many are cheap labour for big industry or season labour in farming. Of course pay and conditions.at not be great but, obviously pay and prospects are better than where ever these have come from.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_illegal_immigrants_in_the_United_States#:~:text=IRS%20estimates%20that%20about%206,%2C%20state%2C%20and%20local%20taxes.

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    Mute John Lyons
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:34 AM

    @David Law: no they don’t- we’ve gone from 2 percent immigrants to 13 percent in the last 20 years and only a tiny percentage are deported. Look around you before posting BS

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    Mute Virus-free Turkey
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:11 AM

    Does this mean he’ll be building lots of Direct Provision Centres?

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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:28 AM

    @Virus-free Turkey: a tunnel under Trump’s wall?

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    Mute David Van-Standen
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:01 AM

    That’s Electioneering!

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    Mute Stephen Fox
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:21 AM

    Creep

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    Mute Will
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:22 AM

    False promises to all! The US elections are a circus! The same trainer owns both horses in race.

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    Mute T Dawg
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:48 AM

    Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

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    Mute pomerleau
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    Oct 19th 2020, 2:10 AM

    @T Dawg: What’s that suppose to mean ???

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    Mute alphasully
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:30 AM

    Believe it when I see it. Looks like vote hunting to me

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    Mute Patrick O'Brien
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:23 AM

    iwish

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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:35 AM

    The least he could do after the “I’m Irish but I’m not stupid” remark a year ago.
    The desperation of his whole campaign though. Knøb
    I pity America because neither Biden nor Trump are in any way good candidates.
    Two cheeks of the same hole.

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    Mute Mark Fitzpatrick
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    Oct 19th 2020, 8:38 PM

    As a dual citizen Irish/US I find some of the comments here farcical, of course he’s vote hunting, huge Irish vote in US, why shouldn’t he go after them?
    As for the pathway to citizenship, why not. Fast majority are law abiding and a lot are paying tax, not everything (anything) Thrump says is true.

    In the US all the US papers, Irish Echo, Irish voice will carry all the benefits of each candidate for Irish Americans, there won’t be alot of ink on Thrump.

    Ensuring the US surports the choir Friday agreement is vital for our island, Biden says he will not allow it to be violated. Thrump will cheer Boris on to break it, no brainer for me on who I will vote for.

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    Mute Gerry Mc Hugh
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    Oct 22nd 2020, 3:40 AM

    trump would too if our irish are no treat to his country ,it appears the aisans want to destroy america ,

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