Controversial immigration bill is proposed
Congress is considering a new comprehensive immigration package that combines two
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| U.S. Rep. Michael Honda of California announced the introduction of the Reuniting Families Act |
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hot-button issues - same-sex couples and illegal immigration.
On June 4, U.S. Rep. Michael Honda of California announced the introduction of the Reuniting Families Act, which, he said, should be at the heart of comprehensive immigration reform. "Our system has not been updated in 20 years, separating spouses, children, siblings and their parents, who have played by the rules, for years, often decades."
The bill aims to end lengthy separations of loved ones, including samesex partners. It would also end legalization backlogs and allow individuals who had been unlawfully present in the United States to utilize the legal immigration system.Honda stated that the bill also provides the U.S. economy with new funds, in the form of workers' pay, which would remain in the country with reunited families instead of being sent home, amounting to an estimated extra $46 billion from Latin American in one year alone. "And we are comprehensive - making sure that all families, including same-sex partners, are reunited," he said.
Specifically, the bill does the following:
• Recaptures unused family-based and employment-based visas previously allocated by Congress that remain unused.
• Allows a green card holder to reunite with a spouse and minor children: The bill classifies the children and spouses of lawful permanent residents as "immediate relatives." This would allow lawful permanent resident spouses and children to immediately qualify for a visa.
• Increases the per-country limits of family and employment-based visas from 7% to 10%: Right now, each country only has a 7% share of the total cap of visas that Congress allocates each year.
• Increasing each country's percentage of visas would eliminate the absurdly long wait times for individuals to immigrate from certain countries like the Philippines, China and India.
• Allows orphans, widows and widowers to immigrate despite death of a petitioner.
• Promotes family unity by allowing more people to use the system: The bill gives the U.S. Attorney General greater flexibility to address numerous hardships, including family separation, caused by a current provision that bars individuals who had been unlawfully present in the United States from utilizing the legal immigration system.
• Recognizes the sacrifices that certain World War II Filipino veterans made for this country, by exempting their children from the numerical caps on visas.
• Ends inequality and discrimination in immigration law, allowing same-sex partners to reunite.
"Making the goal of family reunification a reality needs to be at the core of immigration reform," said Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, a co-sponsor of the bill. "Enabling and promoting strong, stable families is a value at the very heart of American society. Stable families are stable families, regardless of whether a couple includes one who is from another country, gay or lesbian, or both."
The Reuniting Families Act would help to clear the current immigration logjam of 5.8 million people by providing legal mechanisms to streamline the application process. At present, the bureaucratic backlog wastes government resources, both human and financial. If passed, the bill streamlines the application process and reduces the current backlog, which will in turn, in Honda's opinion, "demonstrate to immigrants tempted to arrive outside the legal means that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who stay within the legal process."
According to Honda, as a result of the existing long waits, many family members who apply for visas in the prime of their lives are not granted admission until they reach retirement age, undermining their economic contribution to our country and encouraging some frustrated relatives to resort to illegal migration.
"By providing American workers with a vital social safety net - that is, their family - we help make our communities stronger and more resilient," Honda said.
Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, wrote a letter to Honda expressing his opposition to the Uniting American Families Act.
"Including UAFA in the Reuniting Families Act would erode the institution of marriage and family by according marriage-like immigration benefits to same-sex relationships, a position that is contrary to the very nature of marriage, which predates the church and the state," Wester wrote to Honda.
Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts has expressed pessimism for UAFA's prospects.
"You've got two very tough issues -- the rights of same-sex couples and immigration," he told the Washington Blade last month. "You put them in the same bill, and it becomes impossible. We just don't have the votes for it."
Honda was joined by Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D - Wisconsin), Mazie K. Hirono, Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), Jerry Nadler (D-New York.).
The White House is expected to convene a summit on the legislation within the next few weeks.
