Washington, D.C. – More than 200 faith leaders across the country have sent a letter telling President Biden to reunite immigrant families stuck in visa backlogs. The letter is part of Value Our Families’ ongoing Hearts@Home campaign aimed at the administration.
While families across the country prepare for reunions and time together this holiday season, immigrant families awaiting visas in the family immigration system remain apart. Some have been separated for years, even decades.
“This holiday season, nearly 4 million people won’t be able to celebrate with their families because of an error in our immigration system,” said Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, campaign director at Value Our Families. “Each year, the federal government issues a number of visas for families to reunite. If those visas are not processed in the year made available, they are lost. People in line for green cards miss out.”
The Hearts@Home campaign asks President Biden to help reunite many of these families NOW. He can:
- Re-issue nearly a quarter of a million green cards that went unused in recent years due to administrative delays and intentional processing slowdowns
- Grant parole to people in the family visa backlogs
- Expand family reunification parole to all countries, rather than limiting it to some
More than 200 faith leaders from across the country expressed their support for these measures in this letter to President Biden. An online petition has also garnered more than 500 supporters. And on Dec. 15, members of the Value Our Families coalition will bring these requests to Washington D.C. in a Hearts@Home rally.
“No one should have to spend the holidays apart from their loved ones simply because of paperwork backlogs,” said Ellie Hutchison Cervantes of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, a VOF member. “Family unity has long been a foundational value in our country and is a value likewise affirmed by diverse religious and spiritual traditions. As people of faith, we look to President Biden to uphold family unity through these vital measures.”
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The Value Our Families Coalition exists to protect, preserve, and strengthen family immigration. We are a network of local and national community-based and advocacy organizations promoting an immigration system informed by love, empathy and justice, and rejecting policies that harm immigrant families. We build public support for an immigration system that protects family unity and contributes to this country’s social and economic fabric. For more information, visit Value Our Families.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of over 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants. As a diverse coalition, the policy perspectives expressed in this statement may not represent the views of all IIC members. Follow us on Twitter at @interfaithimm.