US senators introduce legislation to reunite immigrant families, raise per-family visa cap

Washington: Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Reuniting Families Act, a sweeping legislation aimed at reuniting immigrant families and raising the per-country limit on family-based immigration visas. The proposed bill seeks to modernize laws to address significant backlogs in the immigration system and better reflect contemporary family dynamics. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Hirono emphasized the importance of family unity in the U.S. immigration system. “As the only immigrant currently serving in the U.S. Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our nation’s family immigration system and promote family unity. The bill also includes the Filipino Veterans Family Integration Act, which aims to expedite visa processing for the children of Filipino World War II veterans. “Our nation’s broken immigration system is riddled with unnecessary barriers that have created backlogs and kept families apart for years,” Senator Duckworth said, highlighting the challenges posed by the current immigration system. He called for common sense reforms to address these issues and reunite families separated by bureaucratic delays.