Mr. President. I rise today with Senator KENNEDY to introduce the Family Reunification Act. a measure designed to remedy a regrettable injustice in our immigration laws. A minor oversight in the law has led to an unfortunate. and likely unintended. consequence. Parents of U.S. citizens are currently able to enter the country as legal permanent residents. but our laws do not permit their minor children to join them. Simply put. the Family Reunification Act will close this loophole by including the minor siblings of U.S. citizens in the legal definition of "immediate relative." This legislation will ensure that our immigration laws can better accomplish one of the most important policy goals behind themthe goal of strengthening the family unit. Congress took an important first step in promoting family reunification when it enacted the Immigration and Nationality Act. By qualifying as "immediate relatives." this law currently offers parents. spouses and children of U.S. citizens the ability to obtain an immigrant visas to enter the country. We can all agree that this is good immigration policy. Unfortunately. an oversight in this law has undermined the effectiveness of the important principle of family reunification. Each year. a number of familiesin Wisconsin and across the countryare finding that they cannot take advantage of this family reunification provision. Today. U.S. citizens often petition for their parents to be admitted to the United States as "immediate relatives." As I have said. that is clearly allowed under current law.
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visas family reunification immigrant Family Reunification immigration Immigration