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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined President Joe Biden, Members of Congress, administration officials, and key advocates, such as American Families United President, Ashley DeAzevedo, at the White House to celebrate the President’s executive order granting protections to the undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and graduates of American universities, including Dreamers. The President’s executive order protecting spouses of U.S. citizens was guided by Congresswoman Escobar’s legislation, the American Families United Act. 

“There are hundreds of thousands of American families today who have been forced to live apart or relocate to another country because of draconian provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that prevent undocumented spouses of Americans from getting any legal protections whatsoever. Today’s presidential actions, the culmination of years of arduous work and advocacy, puts us leaps and bounds closer to rectifying that wrong,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “I’m incredibly grateful that President Biden used my legislation, the American Families United Act, as a guide for his executive order. Inspired by the story of El Pasoan Edgar Falcon, I have introduced this bill every Congress since I was first elected. Obstruction by congressional Republicans has made passing any kind of immigration legislation impossible, despite the clear economic and humanitarian benefits to doing so. President Biden has consistently used his executive powers to create additional legal pathways for immigrants, and today’s joyous announcement will help keep many of these mixed-status American families together. To those in the American Families United group who may not benefit from this action today, I will never stop fighting for you as well.” 

In addition to today’s EO, which will impact hundreds of thousands of families, the Biden Administration has worked diligently over the course of the past few years to open up legal pathways within the scope of the executive. The Administration has created the CBP One App, which allows 1,500 people to apply for lawful entry into the U.S. monthly, and the Parole Program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) which allows for 30,000 lawful and safe entries monthly for foreign nationals from various countries. These two programs alone have given millions of vulnerable migrants more legal, safe, and humane pathways for entry thanks to President Biden.  

Together, these legal pathways are critical not just for helping create a humanitarian process away from the border, but with the EO, have created legal pathways that Congress for years now has abdicated their responsibility in creating.

Congresswoman Escobar has introduced the American Families United Act every Congress since she was first elected (the 116^th and 117^th). Although she introduced it as a stand-alone bill in the 118^th Congress, she also included it as part of her bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform package known as the Dignity Act.  

Additionally, in November, Congresswoman Escobar sent a letter along with Rep. Jayapal and 84 other members calling on the Administration to take steps to protect the spouses of U.S. citizens residing in the country and to create a family reunification process for those outside the country.

Video of the American Families United Act introduction can be found here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?526871-1/rep-escobar-news-conference-american-families-united-act 

Photos of previous American Families United engagements can be found here: https://x.com/RepEscobar/status/1455991715081424907,https://x.com/RepEscobar/status/1638634146833547265