Washington, DC- The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and its affiliates -- the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) of Los Angeles, Calif., the Asian Law Caucus of San Francisco, Calif. and the Asian American Institute of Chicago, Ill. -- commend Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.) for their introduction of the Reuniting Families Act.  

As a critical component of comprehensive immigration reform, the bill contains practical solutions for reducing family immigrant visa waiting times and promoting the humane and timely reunification of immigrant families.

"We applaud Senators Menendez, Gillibrand, Kennedy and Schumer for their leadership on this key piece of legislation, which offers sensible solutions to help millions of immigrants reunite with their closest loved ones," said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. "Families are the bedrock of our society, and a system that keeps hard-working, tax-paying, legally present immigrants apart from family members for years and even decades is bad for America and calls for immediate repair.   This legislation is especially appropriate now as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The Asian American community is disproportionately affected by the failures of the current system."

The Reuniting Families Act would alleviate and provide humane solutions to pressures on the family immigration system through the tremendous family visa backlog numbered at more than 4 million through provisions that include:

Reducing the backlog by placing unused visas from previous years back into the pool of available visas;

Easing the delay for spouses and minor children, as well as for countries with the longest waiting lists; and

Recognizing sacrifices made in service to America by expediting the reunion of Filipino American World War II veterans and their children.

"Family unity is a deeply-rooted American value, and it should continue to be a main ideal by which we draw our newest Americans," said Senator Menendez. "Strong, unified immigrant families help maintain stable communities and tend to work hard, pay taxes and start businesses that create jobs. We have clear societal and economic reasons to ensure that family reunification is at the core of our legal immigration system. As a nation with a history rooted in immigrants arriving here to reunite with their loved ones, this approach embodies our American values. Our family immigration system is broken � it has not been updated in 20 years and many families wait decades to immigrate legally to this country. This bill will help legal immigrants reunite with their families rather than forcing them to wait for years apart."

Every year, thousands of visas go unused because of bureaucratic delays, meaning that an average of 20,000 immigrants who should legally receive a visa do not get one.   Due to these delays and a system that has not been updated for more than 20 years, there are millions of close family members of U.S. citizens and green card holders who are in the family visa backlog. In some countries, current wait times may exceed 20 years.   Individuals waiting for approval are not allowed to visit the United States, meaning that they cannot see their family members for the years they are waiting.  

"As a mother of two young boys, I know that every day away from your family is an eternity," said Senator Gillibrand. "Family is the cornerstone of our society. That's why I am honored to work with Senator Menendez and other colleagues in Congress to reform America 's family-based immigration system to reunite loved ones, promote family stability and foster the economic growth that immigrant families have provided throughout our history."

Last fall, "A Devastating Wait: Family Unity and the Immigration Backlogs," was released by APALC. The report highlights the family immigration data and the heart wrenching stories of Asian American families that have endured long separations. To read the report, visit APALC's Web site at www.apalc.org.