WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would prevent the Trump Administration from deporting the immediate family members of U.S. soldiers and veterans.
According to a release, specifically, the Protecting Immigrant Gold Star and Military Families Act would prohibit the deportation of the spouses, parents, children, or siblings of members of the U.S. armed forces, veterans who served in active duty who were discharged in conditions other than dishonorable, and service members who died in the line of duty if they have not committed a serious crime.
The bill follows reports that the Trump Administration is scaling back the Parole in Place program, which protects undocumented military family members from deportation.
An estimated 11,800 people serving in the U.S. military are dealing with a spouse or family member who is facing deportation.
“We owe the members and veterans of our armed forces a debt of gratitude for their bravery and sacrifice in service to our country,” Booker stated. “The Trump Administration’s scaling back of the Parole in Place program is unnecessary, cruel, and certainly not how we should be thanking those who have selflessly defended the United States. This common-sense legislation would keep military families together and prohibit the Trump Administration from continuing to advance their xenophobic immigration agenda.”
