Immigration

Reuniting Families: The Importance & Challenges of Family Immigration

By Rebecca Ma and Naeema Hasan

As the holiday season approaches, a time synonymous with social gatherings and cherished memories, it’s crucial to remember that families are the backbone of any society. In America, they play a pivotal role in shaping our communities, culture, and economy.

However, for millions of families, the joy of being together during the holidays is overshadowed by immigration backlogs and bureaucratic challenges that prevent them from reuniting with their loved ones.

Understanding Family Immigration

Family immigration, a pathway established by Congress, allows U.S. citizens and permanent residents to bring certain family members who are abroad to this country or to enable those family members who are already in the U.S. to adjust their status here. It is an acknowledgment of the vital role families play in the lives and care of Americans and of our communities. About two-thirds of all immigrants come through this family-based system. This system, along with the waves of Asian refugees who would later sponsor relatives, resulted in the tremendous growth of the Asian American communities in the U.S. today.

The Growing Challenges

The principle of family unity has been a hallmark of U.S. immigration since 1965, but the family immigration system today is overburdened and outdated. The number of family-based green cards available has not kept up with the number of families in need of reunification, creating a massive backlog. Of the 4 million aspiring Americans waiting years and decades for family-based visas, nearly 40 percent are from Asia.

Why is there a backlog? A multitude of reasons:

• Limited number of green cards for relatives under “family preference” categories
• Administrative delays and technical flaws
• Insufficient funding
• Country-based quotas that push people from countries with high immigration levels further back into the queue

This backlog is not just numbers; it is about real people and real families. Imagine the frustration of waiting for years, even decades, to reunite with your loved ones who are stuck abroad. Or the constant state of limbo faced by immigrant relatives in the U.S. who need to adjust status or else risk losing the authorization to stay here with their families. Some, despite having deep roots in the country, cannot even apply for a green card due to their lack of status.

The Solution: The Reuniting Families Act

This past fall, Representative Judy Chu reintroduced a promising solution: the Reuniting Families Act (H.R. 5560). It is not just a bill but a vision that seeks to:

• End the backlog: The Reuniting Families Act would double the number of family-preference visas available, make sure all available visas are used every year, and ensure no one with an approved visa application waits beyond ten years to reunite with family.
• Ensure more families can be together: The Reuniting Families Act prohibits the deportation of people in the application process, protects family members without status from being punished by re-entry bars that prevent them from adjusting status, and prioritizes reunification for refugee families.
• Address disparities and make the system fairer: The Reuniting Family Act extends protections for LGBTQ+ families, stepchildren, adoptees, children born through assisted reproductive technology, widowed people and others who lose a sponsoring relative.
• Promote diversity: The Reuniting Families Act expands the diversity visa program and provides redress for diversity visa winners blocked by the Muslim and African bans and Covid-19 closures.

The Reuniting Families Act and provisions of the bill have been incorporated into other legislation over the years, including most recently in a version of the Build Back Better Act, the U.S. Citizenship Act, and the Dignity Act.

The True Impact

The longer a family member waits in the backlog, the more life moments are missed: birthdays, weddings, graduations, and more. But family is not just about the big events; it is the countless everyday moments: family dinners, walks in the park, or just spending weekends together. On top of these shared moments, families form the foundation of emotional and practical support, vital in nurturing the young and caring for the elderly, household members, people with disabilities, and other loved ones in need of support.

Beyond these deep personal connections, family immigration drives community progress and economic uplift. Newcomers, brought into the fold through familial ties, also contribute their skills and expertise, enriching local communities and filling essential roles in a range of industries.

You Can Make a Difference

• Advocate for the Act: Reach out to your Member of Congress and urge them to support the Reuniting Families Act.
• Stay Updated and Involved: Join the Value our Families movement to keep abreast of updates and get involved.

In time, we can create a system that keeps families together.

Rebecca Ma is the Immigration Advocacy Manager at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.

Naeema Hasan is a Communications Temp at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC has a mission to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. Visit our website at advancingjustice-aajc.org.

The Value Our Families Campaign exists to protect, preserve, and strengthen the family immigration system and promote an immigration system that is informed by love, empathy and justice. We are a network of local and national community-based and advocacy organizations who reject attacks and proposed harmful changes to our current family-based immigration system. Advancing Justice | AAJC is a founding member of Value Our Families.