U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Tammy Duckworth have introduced the Reuniting Families Act, a bill aimed at promoting family unity within the U.S. immigration system. The legislation seeks to reduce family-based immigration backlogs and update laws to better reflect current immigration patterns. Included in this bill is Senator Hirono's Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, which aims to expedite visa processes for children of Filipino World War II veterans.
Senator Hirono stated, "As the only immigrant currently serving in the U.S. Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our country’s family immigration system and promote family unity." She emphasized that while comprehensive immigration reform is necessary, this act represents progress toward reuniting families navigating the immigration system.
Senator Duckworth added, "Our country’s broken immigration system is riddled with unnecessary barriers that have created backlogs and kept families apart for years."
The proposed legislation includes measures such as recapturing unused visas from previous years, exempting close relatives from visa caps, raising per-country family-based immigration caps, and providing government discretion when applying certain bars on individuals. It also aims to protect children from aging out after 21 and eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ+ families.
Companion legislation was previously introduced in the House by Representative Judy Chu. The bill has garnered endorsements from various organizations including Asian Americans Advancing Justice, SEARAC, FWD.us, SALDEF, ACT, ILRC, AILA, NAKASEC, CHIRLA, and NCAPA.
Gregg Orton of NCAPA expressed support for the bill stating it would strengthen the family-based immigration system. Quyen Dinh of SEARAC highlighted its importance for Southeast Asian families separated due to past conflicts.
Todd Schulte of FWD.us described it as offering smart policies like recapturing unused visas lost to bureaucratic delay. Kiran Kaur Gill of SALDEF emphasized its role in combating disinformation about immigrants.
Nils Kinuani of ACT praised its potential impact on increasing available visas and setting processing time limits. Elizabeth Taufa of ILRC noted it would help eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy causing delays for families.
Ben Johnson of AILA acknowledged it as an important step toward a more efficient family-based immigration system while Jung Woo Kim of NAKASEC shared personal experiences related to systemic barriers faced by immigrant families.
Angelica Salas from CHIRLA reiterated its significance in keeping families together amidst significant visa backlogs while Karla Thomas from Empowering Pacific Islander Communities emphasized its alignment with community values centered around family unity.
The full text of the bill is available for public review as Senator Hirono continues her advocacy efforts toward reforming America's immigration policies.