# Families Belong Together Act

This bill aims to prevent the government from separating children from their parents or guardians during immigration enforcement and detention. Specifically, it prohibits federal immigration authorities from taking children away from their families except in very limited circumstances—mainly when there's evidence that a child is being abused or trafficked, or when keeping them together would pose a serious safety risk.

The bill requires that if a child and parent are both detained by immigration authorities, they must be held together in the same facility whenever possible. It also mandates that the government provide certain services to detained families, including medical care, mental health support, and legal orientation programs to help them understand their rights. Additionally, the law establishes requirements for how families should be treated while in custody, including standards for housing conditions and access to communication with loved ones.

For families going through immigration proceedings, this means that parents won't face the threat of having their children taken away simply because they're undocumented or facing deportation. The bill also creates a process for families who were separated in the past to potentially seek compensation and reunification services. Immigration officials would need to document and justify any separation, making the process more transparent and accountable. Overall, the law prioritizes keeping immigrant families together during the immigration process rather than separating them, which has been a significant concern for immigrant advocacy groups and families navigating the U.S. immigration system.

Families Belong Together Act

Castro, Joaquin

Families Belong Together Act This bill provides various immigration benefits for eligible alien parents (or legal guardians) and minor children who were separated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021. Generally, to be an eligible parent or minor child under this bill, the alien must not be inadmissible for certain crime- or security-related grounds, though DHS may waive certain grounds for humanitarian or public interest reasons. Furthermore, an eligible child who was separated as a minor remains eligible for the immigration benefits after reaching majority. DHS must grant humanitarian parole into the United States to an eligible alien who requests such parole, regardless of whether the alien is physically present in the United States. An eligible alien in the United States may apply for lawful permanent resident status. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall grant a qualifying alien's lawful permanent resident status within 30 days of receiving the alien's application. An alien who receives lawful permanent resident status under this bill shall be eligible for benefits and services that are available to an alien who is admitted as a refugee. Certain annual numerical limitations shall not apply to aliens who receive lawful permanent resident status under this bill. If an alien seeks judicial review of a denial of an application for lawful permanent resident status under this bill, the Department of Justice shall appoint counsel to represent that alien upon request.