I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2766 
To grant lawful permanent resident status to certain eligible persons who 
were separated from immediate family members by the Department of 
Homeland Security. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2021 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Ms. BASS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. LEE of Cali-
fornia, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. JONES, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. OMAR, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. JACK-
SON LEE, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. CARSON, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, 
Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. JOHNSON
of Georgia, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. 
PRESSLEY, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. SOTO, 
Mr. POCAN, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. TORRES of New 
York, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. 
GREEN of Texas, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. CHU, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BUSH, and 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To grant lawful permanent resident status to certain eligible 
persons who were separated from immediate family mem-
bers by the Department of Homeland Security. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Families Belong To-
gether Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE
CHILD.—The term ‘‘eligible 
child’’ means a person who, regardless of whether 
the person is in the United States or abroad— 
(A) entered the United States before at-
taining 18 years of age at a port of entry or be-
tween ports of entry; 
(B) was separated from his or her parent 
or legal guardian by the Department of Home-
land Security between January 20, 2017, and 
January 20, 2021; and 
(C) is not inadmissible under paragraph 
(2)(C)(i), (2)(E), (2)(G), (2)(I), or (3) of sec-
tion 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)). 
(2) ELIGIBLE
PARENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
parent’’ means a person who, regardless of whether 
the person is in the United States or abroad— 
(A) is a parent or legal guardian of an eli-
gible child; 
(B) entered the United States at a port of 
entry, or between ports of entry, with an eligi-
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ble child to whom he or she is a parent or legal 
guardian; 
(C) was separated from his or her eligible 
child by the Department of Homeland Security 
between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 
2021; and 
(D) is not inadmissible under paragraph 
(2)(C)(i), (2)(E), (2)(G), (2)(I), or (3) of sec-
tion 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)). 
SEC. 3. HUMANITARIAN PAROLE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall grant humanitarian parole into the United 
States to any eligible parent or eligible child who expressly 
requests and applies for such parole, whether or not such 
eligible parent or eligible child is physically present in the 
United States. 
(b) FEE AND SPONSOR PROHIBITED.—The Secretary 
of Homeland Security may not— 
(1) impose a fee in conjunction with a request 
or application for parole under subsection (a); or 
(2) require the applicant to secure a fiscal spon-
sor. 
(c) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall consult with the Secretary of 
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the status of such child to that of an alien lawfully 
admitted for permanent residence. 
(c) EXEMPTION FROM NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.— 
The numerical limitations set forth in sections 201 and 
202 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1151 and 1152) shall not apply to aliens whose status is 
adjusted pursuant to subsection (a) or (b). 
(d) APPLICATION FEES PROHIBITED.—The Director 
of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may not im-
pose a fee for— 
(1) any application submitted under this sec-
tion; or 
(2) any filing related to such application, in-
cluding the submission of biometric information or 
an application for waiver of grounds of inadmis-
sibility. 
(e) ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS AND SERVICES.— 
Notwithstanding title IV of the Personal Responsibility 
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), an eligible parent or eligible child 
whose status is adjusted to that of an alien lawfully admit-
ted for permanent residence shall be eligible for benefits 
and services under any Federal or State program or activ-
ity to the same extent as an alien who is admitted to the 
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United States as a refugee under section 207 of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157). 
SEC. 5. DISCRETION OF THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY. 
(a) WAIVER OF GROUNDS OF INADMISSIBILITY.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security may waive the operation of one or 
more grounds of inadmissibility set forth in section 212(a) 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)) (other than paragraph (3)(E) of such section) 
with respect to an eligible child or an eligible parent, for 
humanitarian purposes, to ensure family unity, or when 
such waiver is otherwise in the public interest. 
(b) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this Act may 
be construed to reduce or diminish the discretion provided 
to the Secretary of Homeland Security under section 
212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)). 
SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL 
REVIEW. 
(a) ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall provide a process for 
aliens who have applied for adjustment of status under 
this Act to seek administrative appellate review of a denial 
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of an application for adjustment of status, or a revocation 
of such status. 
(b) JUDICIAL REVIEW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an alien may seek judicial review of 
a denial of an application for adjustment of status, 
or a revocation of such status, under this Act in an 
appropriate United States district court. 
(2) SCOPE OF REVIEW AND DECISION.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, the review 
authorized under paragraph (1) shall be de novo and 
shall be based solely on the administrative record, 
except that the applicant shall be given the oppor-
tunity to supplement the administrative record and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall be given 
the opportunity to rebut the evidence and arguments 
raised in such submission. Upon issuing its decision, 
the court shall remand the matter, with appropriate 
instructions, to the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity to render a final decision on the application. 
(c) APPOINTED COUNSEL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an applicant seeking judicial review 
under this section shall be represented by counsel, 
who shall be appointed, upon the request of the ap-
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plicant, in accordance with procedures established by 
the Attorney General. 
(2) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the At-
torney General shall establish procedures for the ap-
pointment of counsel under paragraph (1). 
(3) FUNDING.—Counsel appointed pursuant to 
paragraph (1) shall be paid from amounts appro-
priated pursuant to section 7(2). 
(d) STAY OF REMOVAL.—An alien seeking adminis-
trative or judicial review under this section may not be 
removed from the United States until a final decision is 
rendered establishing that the alien is ineligible for adjust-
ment of status under section 4. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any other amounts 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated for such purpose, 
there is authorized to be appropriated— 
(1) $5,000,000 to the Department of State in 
fiscal year 2021 to locate and educate eligible par-
ents and children abroad about opportunities for hu-
manitarian parole; and 
(2) $5,000,000 to the Executive Office for Im-
migration Review of the Department of Justice in 
fiscal year 2021 for the provision of legal services, 
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including educating eligible parents and eligible chil-
dren of their rights under this Act. 
(b) AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—Amounts appro-
priated pursuant to subsection (a) shall remain available 
until expended. 
Æ 
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