House expected to pass COVID relief bill next week

The White House announced the start of an effort to allow U.S. entry to migrants who had been forced to wait in Mexico as their asylum cases made their way through immigration courts will begin Feb. 19 in a statement Tuesday. 

The White House says there will be an announcement of a virtual registration process "soon" that will allow eligible people to provide their information and receive instructions on when and where to arrive at the border. It remains unclear how quickly those who register will be summoned to begin the process in-person.

The start of the process will come one day after a major immigration reform bill is unveiled on Capitol Hill.  The statement reiterates warnings White House press secretary Jen Psaki has made from the briefing room podium, urging potential migrants not to come to the border now, especially in light of the pandemic. 

The Biden administration has promised test all those eligible for entry to the U.S. for COVID-19 before they cross the border.

"President Biden is committed to immigration reform in the long term, but it will take time," the statement acknowledges. "his is a crucial first step to communicate our respect for human rights and human dignity, which includes abiding by legal processes and health and safety protocols."

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinvosky

ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a press briefing Tuesday if Biden's trip to Wisconsin today and a televised town hall were a way of taking his message about COVID relief directly to the American people and if it's a signal that the president was throwing in the towel on getting Republican support in Congress. 

"This is an opportunity, as you noted, to go out and have a conversation with the people of Wisconsin, people who agree with him or disagree with him. But if you look at the polls, they are very consistent. The vast majority of the American people like what they see in this package," Psaki said. "That should be an indication or should be noted I members of Congress as they consider whether they will vote for it or not."

When pressed if the visits were meant to put pressure on Republicans in Congress, Psaki brushed off the suggestion, arguing Biden’s focus is on connecting with Americans dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. 

“His objective is really to make sure he is engaging directly with the people who are impacted by the pandemic or impacted by the economic downturn, who are worried about whether they will get a shot, who don't know where to get information, who are worried about whether they will be able to put food on the table. That's the focus of this trip. Obviously, Republicans in Congress will have to make their own choice about whether they support the final package." Psaki said. "It's still working its way through Congress but the vast majority of the public supported including the vast majority of most members’ constituents so it's really questions for them."

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Mary Bruce

President Biden supports the creation of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce.

"It's of course Congress' decision to form this commission, but it's one the president would support," Psaki said. "And President Biden has made clear his views on the tragic events of January 6th, including where responsibility for them lies. He backs efforts to shed additional light on the facts to ensure something like that never happens again.”

A House Democratic leadership aide tells ABC News that legislation to set up this independent 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack could be introduced as early as this week, though it is unclear when a final vote could be. Once it clears the House, it will also need to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Biden.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Mariam Khan

President Biden's allies on Capitol Hill are expected to introduce an immigration reform bill later this week, in what could be Democrat’s most ambitious attempt to overhaul the hardline border policies of the Trump administration. Multiple sources tell ABC News the bill is expected to be introduced on Thursday.

While it’s unclear exactly what the legislation will include, it is expected to mirror many of the immigration priorities Biden laid out on day one of his administration – including a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants and prioritizing keeping families together by eliminating visa backlogs.

Past attempts to overhaul the U.S. immigration system have failed under both parties. The Biden administration has signaled it may have better luck by splitting up the legislation – rather than putting everything in one giant reform package. But ABC News has learned Democrats spearheading this effort on Capitol Hill are, for now, committed to one major legislative push. One Democratic aide insisted no conversations about splitting the package up are occurring.

Biden has already taken sweeping executive action aimed at undoing some of former President Trump’s hallmark initiatives on immigration – from halting construction of the southern border wall to reversing the Trump administration plans to exclude undocumented immigrants from the Census count. He has been able to make these changes since Trump enacted many of these policies through a series of executive actions, as opposed to legislation.

-ABC News' Cecilia Vega, Ben Gittleson, Molly Nagle, Quinn Owen, Benjamin Siegel and Sarah Kolinovsky