Washington - Today, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Harry Reid (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced legislation that would grant lawful permanent residence status to the immigrant immediate family members of active-duty Armed Forces personnel. Under the Military Families Act, the Department of Homeland Security would adjust the status of an individual to that of lawful permanent resident if the individual is a parent, spouse, child, son or daughter of an Armed Forces member who is serving or has served honorably in an active-duty status in the military, air, or naval forces of the United States since 2001 or who died while serving our country. The bill would also assist the sons and daughters of a Filipino World War II veteran who bravely served our country.

"We owe the men and women who risk their lives in service of our nation so much, and that should include the right to be united with their closest family members in our country on a permanent basis," said Menendez. "This bill will help ensure the families of those that have served our country with pride and valor don't face unfair and unexpected deportation and are able to remain, close to their loved ones, in this land they call home. As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, we keep in our prayers and thoughts those who have died while serving our nation and their family members. We also honor those that put their life on the line on our behalf. With this bill, we can show one measure of our appreciation for their service and sacrifice. "

"No service member should receive a callon the battlefield one day to learn that a spouse or a parent is being deported. I commend Sen. Menendez for this bill, which will ensure thatthousands of our men and women in uniform willnot need to worry that loved ones will be deported in their absence and will know that when they return home they can reunite with their close familymembers. This bill will also ensure that aging Filipino veterans, who served the United States admirably during World War II, will finally be reunited with children from whom many have been separated for decades due to long backlogs in our outdated immigration system. This reform is long overdue." Said Senator Reid (D-NV)

"Our country's service members and military families have put everything on the line to protect our country and keep America safe," said Bennet (D-CO). "The last thing our service members should have to worry about is whether their loved ones won't be there to greet them once they return home."

DHS officials estimate that many thousands of people in the military have spouses who are undocumented immigrants. Many of these service
members would like to apply for legal status for their family members but are prevented from doing so by legal barriers created in 1996, when Congress last made major revisions to the immigration laws. This bill is a critical component of comprehensive immigration reform.

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