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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) reintroduced the American Families United Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to preserve and promote family unity by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to help millions of U.S. citizens reunite with their loved ones.

“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,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interests to restore legal pathways for immigrants and keep families together, and the bipartisan American Families United Act is a critical step in the right direction. I look to working with my colleagues to advance this crucial legislation”

“The American Families United Act benefits U.S. citizens, promotes family unity, and prioritizes keeping families together,”  said Congresswoman Salazar. “I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation that reinforces America’s commitment to the rule of law and respects the dignity of families.”

The American Families United Act would:

• Protect the rights and interests of U.S. citizens in our immigration system,
• Help certain U.S. citizens to sponsor their spouses and children for a green card as an immediate relative, which would benefit those spouses and children of U.S. citizens who are not eligible for a green card due to certain eligibility bars in our immigration laws.
• Gives immigration judges and officers (within the Department of Homeland Security) the authority to waive, on a case-by-case basis, certain grounds of inadmissibility or deportability if the denial of immigration status or removal would result in hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child. 
• Allows certain spouses of U.S. citizens who previously have been denied—but would be eligible under this bill—to file a motion to reopen with the Immigration Court or Department of Homeland Security and reapply for a green card.

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

The American Families United Act is co-sponsored by Representatives Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Greg Casar (TX-35), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Suzan DelBene (DA-01), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesús 'Chuy' García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Mike Levin (CA-49), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Paul Tonko (NY-20).

It is endorsed by Hope Border Institute, Estrella del Paso, Immigration Hub, American Immigration Lawyers Association, FWD.us, Service Employees International Union, among others.