Sen. Menendez and Rep. Honda Introduce the Reuniting Families Act (S. 3514)
9/18/08
AILA Doc. No. 08092368.
Adjustment of Status, Asylum, Business Immigration, Congress, Family Immigration, Naturalization & Citizenship, Removal & Relief, Waivers
On 09/18/08, Senator Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Reuniting Families Act (S. 3514), a bill aimed at promoting family unity in the immigration system.
A companion bill (H.R. 6938) was introduced in the House by Rep. Honda (D-CA)
If passed, the bill would:
- Recapture immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays;
- Reclassify the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents as immediate relatives;
- Address country limits and unreasonably long backlogs;
- Increase government discretion and flexibility in addressing numerous hardships caused by a provision that bars individuals unlawfully present in the United States from utilizing our legal immigration system;
- Provide relief for certain orphans and widows of US citizens or lawful permanent residents, and;
- Exempt certain veterans from the Philippines from immigrant visa limits.
For complete analysis of the bill, read the section-by-section analysis of the Reuniting Families Act.