Alarmed at a Washington Post report that said a bipartisan group of senators are considering doing away with visas for brothers, sisters and married children as part of immigration reform, Sen. Mazie Hirono joined six other senators in urging the so-called Gang of Eight working on reform to hold off.

The Post reported, “the senators are planning to eliminate those categories to help clear a back load of 4.3 million family visa applications, while also making it easier for some foreign workers to enter the country. Those family members could still apply for visas but would need other qualifications such as work skills and English proficiency to increase their chances. Senate aides said no decisions have been finalized.”

In the letter, Hirono and the other six senators wrote in part:

“According to a recent media report, the proposed bill would eliminate family-based admission categories for the married adult children and siblings of U.S. citizens. This is very troubling. Different types of family members can play an important role in each other’s lives, and for some Americans a brother or sister is the only family they have.

 “Family based immigration is important not only to individual citizens, but to the social and economic well-being of the country as a whole. The available evidence suggests that family based immigrants add to the economy directly and through their support of other working family members.  Family based immigrants bring vital skills and new ideas to this country, increase the likelihood of successful integration of new immigrants through family support networks, and over time show more upward mobility than any other immigrant group. In other words, family-based immigration should not be considered less important than employment-based immigration.  Both are vital to our country’s future.”

In addition to Hirono, the letter was signed by Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Al Franken (Minn.).

 

 

— Kery Murakami