Sen. Hirono co-sponsors bill to promote family unity in US immigration system

US Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaiʻi is co-sponsoring a bill to help families caught up in the US immigration system at a time when President-elect Donald Trump is pledging mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduced the Reuniting Families Act. The legislation would “promote family unity in our country’s immigration system, reduce the family-based immigration backlogs, and update our laws to reflect how families immigrate to the United States,” according to an announcement.

The bill also includes Hirono’s Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans.

“As the only immigrant currently serving in the US Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our country’s family immigration system and promote family unity,” Hirono said. “By implementing changes to reduce the backlog of family-based immigration visas, exempting close relatives from visa caps, and preventing the separation of LGBTQ+ families, this bill will better prioritize family unity in our immigration system. We desperately need comprehensive immigration reform, but in the meantime, the Reuniting Families Act is a step in the right direction to help reunite or keep families together as they navigate our immigration system.”

“Our country’s broken immigration system is riddled with unnecessary barriers that have created backlogs and kept families apart for years,” Duckworth said. “This legislation would implement common sense reforms to help end family-based backlogs, which keep too many with approved green card applications stuck in bureaucratic limbo, and get more families where they belong — together.”

According to an announcement, the Reuniting Families Act would:

• “Recapture” unused visas from previous years, adding them to the number of visas United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may distribute;
• Exempt close relatives from visa caps, extending the current exemption to spouses, unmarried children under 21, and certain parents of legal permanent residents; 
• Raise the per-country family-based immigration caps, allowing more visas to go to a single country such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines;  
• Provide discretion to the government when applying certain “bars” on individuals, eliminating unfair requirements for individuals to go to their home countries if that individual unlawfully entered the United States;
• Protect children from “aging out” after 21, extending protections for step-children and children of visa holders; 
• Expand cancellation of deportation orders, making it easier for noncitizens to apply in cases of extreme hardship to a family member who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident; and
• Eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ+ families, ensuring our immigration system treats those in same-sex relationships equally, including resettling partners together with their refugee spouses and allowing spouses to come to the U.S. if their partner is granted asylum.

Companion legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives last year.

For the full text of the bill, click here.