APALC Applauds the Introduction of the Reuniting Families Act
Friday, 06. 5. 2009 – Category: Immigration Reform, Recent Activity
Proposed Legislation Could Bring Relief to More than Four Million Families
LOS ANGELES – The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) applauds the leadership of Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), along with Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) for introducing the Reuniting Families Act, a bill that contains proactive measures to resolve family immigration backlogs and promote the humane and efficient reunification of families.
“We are pleased that there is a bill like this that prioritizes families,” said Stewart Kwoh, Executive Director of APALC. “The family is a fundamental unit of our society, and a system that breaks families apart is itself broken.”
The current family immigration backlog has more than four million individuals waiting in line to reunite with their family members in the U.S. Although the current expected wait time for spouses and minor children of green card holders is 5 years, people from China, India, Mexico and the Philippines face even longer wait times, up to 25 years, due to per country limits. During these wait times, individuals waiting for approval are routinely denied the ability to visit their families in the U.S.
The Reuniting Families Act, introduced earlier this week, has some very practical solutions for reducing these backlogs. The bill:
- Recaptures thousands of unused annual family and work visas resulting from bureaucratic red tape;
- Revises the definition of “immediate relatives” so that spouses and children of green card holders can reunite their families without waiting for an average of 5 years;
- Adjusts the status and prevents the age-out of children of fiancé visa holders;
- Increases per country family-sponsored and work visa limits, easing processing delays for countries with long waiting lists for family and work visas;
- Allows widows, widowers and orphans to immigrate despite the death of a petitioner;
- Increases government discretion and flexibility in addressing hardships caused by provisions that bar individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States;
- Expedites the reunion of Filipino American World War II veterans and their children, recognizing their sacrifices made in service to America;
- Allows same-sex permanent partners to sponsor their foreign partner for a permanent visa.
“This is just one step towards achieving a common sense solution that rewards immigrants who work hard and play by the rules instead of keeping their families apart for decades,” said Sara Sadhwani, Director of the Immigrant Rights Project for APALC. “Immigrant families are vital to the long-term growth of our economy – they pay taxes, they invest in education, and they start businesses.”
A report released by APALC titled “A Devastating Wait: Family Unity and the Immigration Backlogs,” highlights the detrimental effects of the immigration backlogs on families. The report reveals that backlogs disproportionately hurt women, as 69% of all female immigrants receive their green cards through the family-based system. Young families, recently married, or with young children are also particularly affected. The report also demonstrates how the system hurts the Asian American community. In 2006, 63% of Asian immigrants came through family sponsorship, where nearly half of the applicants waiting in the backlogs are the spouses, children and siblings of Asian Americans. The report can be found on the APALC Web site, www.apalc.org.
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