Cuban Family Reunification Parole Act of 2022

Cuban Family Reunification Parole Act of 2022

This bill directs the Department of State to restart processing applications under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. (The program, which was suspended in 2017, allows eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for parole for family members in Cuba, who can then enter the United States while waiting for immigrant visas.)

The State Department must prioritize applications filed before this bill's enactment and ensure that the adjudication of such applications begin no later than six months after this bill's enactment date.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6907 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6907

     To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate the 
     processing of applications for parole under the Cuban Family 
         Reunification Parole Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 2, 2022

 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Sires, Mr. Lawson of Florida, 
    Mrs. Demings, Mr. Crist, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mrs. Cherfilus-
 McCormick, and Mrs. Murphy of Florida) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate the 
     processing of applications for parole under the Cuban Family 
         Reunification Parole Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cuban Family Reunification Parole 
Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT OF CUBAN FAMILY REUNIFICATION PAROLE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall--
            (1) begin to reinstate the processing of applications for 
        parole under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program at 
        the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba; and
            (2) prioritize applications described in paragraph (1) in 
        the order in which they were received by the United States 
        Citizenship and Immigration Services before the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (b) Additional Personnel.--
            (1) Assignment.--To carry out subsection (a)--
                    (A) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall assign 
                to the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba, 
                appropriate personnel from the United States 
                Citizenship and Immigration Services; and
                    (B) the Secretary of State, with the permission of 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall assign to the 
                United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba, appropriate 
                personnel from the Department of State.
            (2) Safety of personnel.--The Secretary of Homeland 
        Security and Secretary of State shall take such actions as may 
        be necessary to ensure the safety of such personnel and to 
        ensure that such personnel are available a minimum of one 
        business day each week for the Cuban Family Reunification 
        Parole Program.
    (c) Accessibility.--To carry out subsection (a), the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, may to 
the extent practicable make available to applicants for parole under 
the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program video teleconference 
capabilities and may fly personnel assigned under subsection (b) to the 
United State Embassy in Havana, Cuba, for time sufficient to process 
applications in a safe manner. In carrying out this subsection, the 
Secretaries shall ensure that appropriate privacy and security 
requirements are satisfied for all personnel involved.
    (d) Duration.--Parole granted under the Cuban Family Reunification 
Parole Program shall be valid for an initial period of at least two 
years.
    (e) Expeditious Processing.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall ensure that 
applications for parole under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole 
Program that were filed before the date of the enactment of this Act 
have started being adjudicated not more than six months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
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