United States Senators introduce Bill to reunite immigrant families, raise per-country, family-based immigration cap

The Reuniting Families Act aims to reunite immigrant families, raise per-country immigration caps, and prioritize family unity.

Two Democratic-Party Senators on Wednesday (December 4, 2024),introduced a legislation aimed at reuniting the immigrant families and raising the per-country family-based immigration caps, allowing more visas to go to a single country such as India and China.

Introduced by Senators, Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Reuniting Families Act, which would promote family unity in the country’s immigration system, reduce the family-based immigration backlogs, and update laws to reflect how families immigrate to the United States.

The Bill also includes Senator 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 United States Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our country’s family immigration system and promote family unity,” said Ms. Hirono.

“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,” she said.

“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,” she said

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