H.R. 6118: Support and Defend Our Military Personnel and Their Families Act

This bill, titled the Support and Defend Our Military Personnel and Their Families Act, aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide various forms of support and protection for military personnel and their families. Below are the key components of the bill:

Facilitating Naturalization for Military Personnel

The bill simplifies the naturalization process for individuals who have served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during specific military operations. Key changes include:

• Enabling any eligible service member to be naturalized regardless of the specific deployment period, as long as their service was honorable.
• Extending the period of military service considered for naturalization from six months to one year.

Timely Reunification of Military Personnel and Their Families

The bill addresses issues surrounding family reunification for military personnel by providing criteria that allow the spouses and children of service members to obtain immigrant visas more quickly. Specifically:

• Allows family members of military personnel to be eligible for visas as immediate relatives, expediting their immigration process.

Relief for Immediate Family Members of Active Duty Personnel

This section introduces provisions that allow eligible immediate family members (like spouses and children) of active duty military personnel to apply for adjustments to their immigration status. The requirements include:

• The applicants must be physically present in the U.S. when applying and eligible to receive an immigrant visa.
• Family members of deceased service members may also apply for these benefits within two years following the service member's death.

Factors to Consider in Removal Proceedings

The bill modifies the criteria for initiating removal proceedings against military personnel and veterans. The main aspects include:

• The Secretary of Homeland Security must grant prior approval before issuing removal notices for individuals with honorable military service.
• Factors to be considered include the service member's eligibility for naturalization, their military service record, and any potential hardships that removal could cause to the service member, their family, or the military.
• Explicitly prohibits the removal of honorably discharged service members under certain sections of the immigration law.

Conclusion

This bill seeks to enhance the protection and well-being of active duty military personnel and their families by streamlining immigration processes, ensuring timely reunification, and providing safeguards against removal from the United States.

Relevant Companies

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