In his State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, President Joe Biden addressed a number of crucial issues that impact not only the Americans in general, but also Latin communities in the United States. The State of The Union Address is an annual event in which the president makes an address to Congress, outlining priorities and policy proposals for the coming year.

During his speech, Biden emphasized the importance of a fair and equitable approach to issues such as tax reform, child care and health care. Furthermore, he highlighted specific measures to address the climate crisis, strengthen public security and promote equal rights. In a campaign tone, he praised the achievements of his years in government and compared it with that of his predecessor and challenger for the presidency, Donald Trump. The objective of this text is to understand the speech and its positioning and, especially, the way in which these proposals directly impact Latino communities in the United States, as well as the correspondence between what was said by the president and the reality of his mandate.

1. Speech overview and key proposals

In his March 7 speech, President Joe Biden presented a comprehensive vision of his agenda for the year 2024, outlining a series of proposals aimed at addressing the challenges facing the United States. Biden highlighted the importance of a fair and equitable approach to issues such as tax reform, child care, health care and the climate crisis, among others.

One of the key proposals mentioned by Biden was tax reform, which argues in favor of the richest and large corporations paying their fair share of taxes. He emphasized the need to remove certain tax exemptions granted to companies, especially in the pharmaceutical and oil industries, citing a minimum tax of 21% on large corporations so that they “pay their fair share”.

A proposal for a minimum income tax for billionaires had already been presented to the legislature by Senator Ron Wyden, while some Democratic members of the Chamber of Deputies presented, for the second time, a similar project by President Biden to the Chamber. This states that the richest households in the United States must pay a minimum tax rate of 20% on all their income, including unrealized gains. This tax liability will apply exclusively to the top 0.01% of American households, those valued at more than $100 million. If these taxpayers are already meeting or exceeding the 20% tax on all their income, there will be no additional tax imposition.

Still in the speech, Biden reiterated his commitment to child care and poverty reduction, highlighting the importance of the “Children's Tax Credit”, which was implemented during the pandemic and helped halve child poverty.

Another point highlighted by Biden was the urgency of confronting the climate crisis and promoting the transition to a greener and sustainable economy. He outlined plans to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, create jobs in the clean energy industry, and conserve 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030. These steps reflect the Biden administration's commitment to tackling one of America's most pressing challenges of our time.

However, as Biden outlined his proposals for addressing these important issues, he also made a point of contrasting his approach with that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, presenting himself as a defender of the fundamental values ​​of democracy and progress. This aspect of the speech reflects the political nature of the event, with Biden taking the opportunity to highlight the differences between his administration and the previous one, while defending his vision for the country's future.

2. Immigration: impact and perspectives for Latinos

The issue of immigration was addressed prominently by Biden, recognizing it as one of the most urgent and complex issues facing the country. The president reiterated his commitment to a humanitarian and fair approach to addressing the migration crisis, highlighting the need for comprehensive reforms to the United States' immigration system. For our Observatory, the topic is of great importance, as it directly impacts Latino communities in the United States.

Biden outlined his vision for immigration reform that includes measures to protect Dreamers, who are immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, as well as to provide a clear path to citizenship for undocumented migrants who are already contributing to society. These statements are intended to confirm the Biden administration's commitment to recognizing the humanity and dignity of migrants and their families.

Additionally, Biden addressed the issue of border security, recognizing the need to ensure a safe and orderly border while respecting the human rights of migrants. He highlighted the importance of investing in technology and infrastructure to strengthen legal entry points and speed up immigration processes, thus reducing the need for risky and informal crossings.

“I will not demonize immigrants by saying they ‘poison the blood of our country,’ as he (Donald Trump) said in his own words. I will not separate families. I will not ban people from entering America because of their faith. Unlike my predecessor, on my first day in office I presented a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure the border, provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, and more. [...] This is America, where we all come from somewhere, but we are all Americans. We can argue about the border, or we can fix it. I’m ready to fix it.”

Biden's emphasis on the immigration issue was not just in the form of a speech. According to an article released by the MigrationPolicy Institute(MPI), in the first three years of Joe Biden's government, 535 actions related to immigration were taken, surpassing his predecessor Donald Trump, who executed 472 in his four years in office. This effort resulted in legal immigration returning to levels observed before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Efforts to discourage irregular entries, extended temporary humanitarian protections to many migrants, and enforcement priorities have become narrower and more focused on categories of unauthorized migrants. This was part of Biden's election campaign and fulfilled promises that were shown to help strengthen the economy. According to the article, the US southern border recorded a record of at least 6.3 million encounters with migrants from the beginning of the mandate until January 2024, adding 2.4 million migrants within the country.

The permissibility proposed by the Biden administration's approach to immigration issues has sparked a debate on public safety, where not only opponents, but some of Biden's supporters have begun to advocate stricter border control, adding a new dimension to immigration policy in a presidential election year, on a topic of great importance to the country's politics.

The Biden administration's 535 executive actions through January, as calculated by MPI, were issued in one of the Western Hemisphere's most chaotic migration periods in recent history. As such, the actions covered a wide range of subjects. When the Joe Biden administration suspended Title 42's COVID-19-related expulsion authority in May 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) replaced it with a system of incentives for asylum seekers who arrive at ports of entry and disincentives for those who cross between ports of entry without authorization, among other changes. Additionally, there is greater coordination with Latin American countries designed to bring migration opportunities closer to individuals' home countries. And some, though not most, of the administration's actions are part of an effort to discontinue changes introduced during the Trump administration.

In his State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, President Joe Biden outlined a series of proposals aimed at addressing critical challenges facing the United States, covering a diverse range of issues from tax reform to immigration. Biden emphasized the importance of a fair and equitable approach, highlighting specific measures to address the climate crisis, strengthen public safety and promote equal rights. However, in addition to presenting his proposals, Biden made a point of contrasting his approach with that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, emphasizing his progressive values. Immigration was one of the central issues of the speech, with Biden promising a humanitarian and fair approach to dealing with the migration crisis, highlighting measures to protect Dreamers and providing a clear path to citizenship for undocumented migrants.

The impact of these proposals on Latino communities in the United States is significant, and the actions already taken by the Biden administration reflect an effort to fulfill his campaign promises and bring about tangible change. However, the proposed policies have also sparked debates about public safety and border control, adding a new dimension to immigration policy in a presidential election year. Ultimately, Biden's speech and proposals outline a comprehensive effort to address current challenges and shape the future of the United States, with significant impacts on Latino communities and beyond.