After winning an election full of fraud accusations and recounts, President-elect Joe Biden and his team have started to set up for their move into the White House. The Biden Administration will institute policies that are, but there seems to be a lot of confusion throughout the popular media and social networking platforms about what will actually happen once Biden is inaugurated. He has made many promises during his campaign, but what significant changes should Americans really expect? 

One of the most pressing topics is how the new administration will tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly after being named the winner of the election, Biden began to announce the members of his new coronavirus task force, whose goal will be to implement measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and encourage economic restoration. They will also plan a quick and efficient vaccine distribution method for when the FDA gives the green light on a coronavirus vaccine. Biden’s administration also wants to establish free coronavirus testing for everyone. Experts have explained that testing is important for isolating infected people and containing the virus. 

For economic recovery, the Biden’s website claims that he will provide aid to small businesses and families affected by the pandemic. As of now, a new stimulus package has not been announced. Trump demanded that negotiations continue until everyone agrees on a bigger stimulus package, but others are worried about the increasing national debt. So how those relief plans will unfold remains unclear. Biden also promised that on his first day of presidency, the U.S. would rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO), which Trump parted from in July. The Biden Administration has stated that it trusts science and the public health experts in these trying times.

Throughout his campaign, Biden also advocated for policies that would address the climate crisis. He has named John Kerry as his chief climate delegate and is also considering creating a new office dedicated to climate change. Kerry was a negotiator for the Montreal Protocol, an agreement between countries sharing the common goal of reducing the use and impact of hydrofluorocarbons — a man made greenhouse gas — and other ozone damaging substances. During his campaign, Biden also promised that the U.S. would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, which the Trump Administration controversially withdrew from in 2017. 

Biden also plans to convert the U.S. to using clean energy sources. This endeavor would create nearly 10 million jobs, and the Biden website claims to create “net-zero emissions, economy wide, by no later than 2050.” 

Citizens will have to wait for a concrete plan to see how these ambitious plans will be funded. Senior Ambiya Hussain said, “I believe Biden will deliver on a decent amount of his promises, such as rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and dealing with the coronavirus, since it is one of the more pressing issues. I also think he will trust the experts he appointed more than Trump did. But in the end, they are politicians and carefully choose what to say in order to get the most votes.”

In recent years, migrant children crossing the Mexican-American border have been separated from their parents. There have been efforts to reunite these families for years, but more than 500 children still remain separated from their families. Biden has promised to establish a task force that will be dedicated to reuniting them. U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will also be reviewed and held accountable for their allegations of misconduct, and they will be expected to function professionally. In the past, there have been several claims of abuse at the hands of ICE agents in detention centers. 

Many Americans support Biden because he vows to reinstate the DACA program the instant he enters the oval office. DACA, a program allowing illegal immigrant children to stay in America if they were brought and raised here, was ended under the Trump Administration. The Biden Administration seems set on reversing these immigration restrictions; however, the border poses the threat of another large influx of immigrants, considering the current pandemic and harsh hurricanes that have hit Central America. The risks posed by looser immigration restrictions worry some who live near the border.

Biden is aiming to accomplish a majority of these goals on day one of his presidency. Senior Daisy Puca said, “I feel like the country will be divided on his plans. The country is already divided by this historic election, so not everyone will be supportive. I believe there will be more acts of violence because of the different beliefs other people have. It seems difficult to have hope through all of this because we are so divided, so hopefully there will be compromise and peace.” Taking a handle on the covid crisis, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, freezing deportations during the first 100 days in office, and finding a way to create a path to citizenship for DACA dreamers have all been promised. Citizens will have to wait and see if Biden truly lives up to his word.