The Legal Aid Society has expressed optimism over newly inaugurated President Joseph R. Biden’s recent executive orders on immigration policy.

During his first day in office, Biden reversed the Trump administration’s 2017 travel ban from Muslim countries. He also directed expanded access to visas for foreign workers and their families, among many other actions to reverse harmful Trump-era immigration policies.

Hasan Shafiqullah, Attorney-in-Charge of the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit said Biden’s actions will help to clear a backlog of work applications that had accumulated during the previous administration.

“It doesn’t make sense to make them sit idle,” Shafiqullah told Marketplace. “If they’re able to work, able to contribute to the economy, get them work permits, get them social security numbers.”