I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2920 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to promote family unity, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2021 
Ms. ESCOBAR (for herself and Mr. VALADAO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to promote 
family unity, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Families 
United Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The rights and interests of United States 
citizens should be protected by our Nation’s immi-
gration laws. 
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the Attorney General may, for reasons de-
scribed in clause (ii)— 
‘‘(I) decline to order such alien 
removed from the United States; 
‘‘(II) terminate such removal 
proceedings; or 
‘‘(III) grant such alien permis-
sion to reapply for admission to the 
United States or any other application 
for relief from removal. 
‘‘(ii) LIMITATION ON DISCRETION.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney 
General may exercise discretion de-
scribed in clause (i) if the Attorney 
General determines that removal of 
the alien or the denial of a requested 
benefit would result in hardship to the 
alien’s United States citizen spouse, 
parent, or child. 
‘‘(II) HARDSHIP.—For purposes 
of subclause (I), there is a presump-
tion that family separation shall result 
in hardship. 
‘‘(iii) EXCLUSIONS.—This subpara-
graph shall not apply to an alien whom the 
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Attorney General determines is inadmis-
sible or deportable under— 
‘‘(I) 
subparagraph 
(B), 
(C), 
(D)(ii), (E), (H), or (I) of section 
212(a)(2); 
‘‘(II) section 212(a)(3); 
‘‘(III) subparagraph (A), (C), or 
(D) of section 212(a)(10); or 
‘‘(IV) 
paragraph 
(2)(A)(iii), 
(2)(A)(v), (2)(F), (4), or (6) of sec-
tion 237(a).’’. 
(b) SECRETARY’S DISCRETION.—Section 212 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating the second subsection (t) 
as subsection (u); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) SECRETARY’S DISCRETION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an alien who 
is the spouse or child of a United States citizen, and 
who is inadmissible under subsection (a), deportable 
under section 237, or ineligible for any immigration 
benefit or relief under the immigration laws as a re-
sult of such inadmissibility or deportability, the Sec-
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retary of Homeland Security may, for reasons de-
scribed in paragraph (2)— 
‘‘(A) waive one or more grounds of inad-
missibility or deportability; 
‘‘(B) decline to issue a notice to appear re-
quiring such an alien to appear for removal pro-
ceedings; 
‘‘(C) decline to reinstate an order of re-
moval under section 241(a)(5); and 
‘‘(D) grant such alien permission to re-
apply for admission to the United States or any 
other application for an immigration benefit. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON DISCRETION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security may exercise discretion de-
scribed in paragraph (1) if the Secretary deter-
mines that removal of the alien or the denial of 
a requested benefit would result in hardship to 
the alien’s United States citizen spouse, parent, 
or child. 
‘‘(B) HARDSHIP.—For purposes of sub-
paragraph (A), there is a presumption that 
family separation shall result in hardship. 
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‘‘(3) EXCLUSIONS.—This subsection shall not 
apply to an alien whom the Secretary determines is 
inadmissible or deportable under— 
‘‘(A) subparagraph (B), (C), (D)(ii), (E), 
(H), or (I) of subsection (a)(2); 
‘‘(B) subsection (a)(3); 
‘‘(C) subparagraph (A), (C), or (D) of sub-
section (a)(10); or 
‘‘(D) 
paragraph 
(2)(A)(iii), 
(2)(A)(v), 
(2)(F), or (6) of section 237(a).’’. 
(c) NATIONALITY AT BIRTH AND COLLECTIVE NATU-
RALIZATION.—Section 301(g) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401(g)) is amended by striking 
‘‘for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, 
at least two of which were after attaining the age of four-
teen years’’. 
Æ 
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