~ Despite their heroic service, Congress passed the Rescission Acts of 1946 which made Filipino veterans ineligible for benefits granted to other World War II veterans ~
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Ed Case (D-HI) and Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA) reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2025, bicameral, bipartisan legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans.
“Despite the service and sacrifices of Filipino soldiers who bravely fought on behalf of our country during World War II, many of these veterans still haven’t been able to reunite permanently with their loved ones in the U.S.,” said Senator Hirono. “The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would help expedite this process so these veterans can finally be reunited with their families. These soldiers served our country with honor and courage and this bill is an important step towards helping them receive the benefits they deserve.”
“The Filipino servicemembers who fought alongside U.S. forces during World War II put their lives on the line in support of our country, many making the ultimate sacrifice,” Senator Murkowski said. “Helping to ensure these proud veterans are able to reunite with their family members while they are still here is the right thing to do in order to honor their service.”
“The Filipino veterans who fought for their homeland and for the Allied cause in World War II are seeing their numbers dwindling and have been patiently waiting for the time when they can finally reunite with their loved ones,” said Representative Ed Case. “As these veterans near the end of their lives, they deserve the certainty of a non-revocable permanent solution.
“Our Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would address this by exempting from existing visa caps the visa applications of the children of Filipino World War II veterans. This would allow them to gain green cards once their applications are processed and approved, including careful vetting in line with existing immigration standards. This will not only assist these veterans in their senior years but also provide a fitting recognition of their critical service in the War.”
“Over 260,000 Filipino servicemembers bravely served alongside our country in WWII, and their service cannot be forgotten,” said Congresswoman Jen Kiggans. “We owe these veterans an immense debt of gratitude, and it is our responsibility to honor their sacrifice. I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan bill to ensure the families of our Filipino veterans are justly rewarded for their valiant service.”
More than 260,000 Filipino soldiers followed America’s call to fight under the American flag in World War II, but there are only a few thousand of these veterans still alive. Despite their heroic service, Congress passed the Rescission Acts of 1946 which made Filipinos ineligible for benefits granted to other World War II veterans. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush granted U.S. citizenship to about 26,000 Filipino nationals in recognition of their service to the United States during World War II. However, the 1990 law did not confer citizenship or residency to the veterans’ children, who remained separated from their parents. Due to a visa backlog, some Filipino applicants must wait years before their applications are considered.
In 2016, after years of advocacy by Senator Hirono, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services began implementation of the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) program to reunite veterans and their surviving spouses with adult children and certain other relatives. The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would provide a long-term solution by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from global limits the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the 1990 law or other specified laws.
In the Senate, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
In the House, the legislation is also cosponsored by Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).
The bill has been supported by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, Church World Service, Filipino Young Leaders Program, Human Rights First, Immigration Hub, Interfaith Welcome Coalition - San Antonio, Japanese American Citizens League, Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Immigration Forum, Pilipino Workers Center, PWC, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, UndocuBlack Network, Veterans for American Ideals, Wind of the Spirt Immigrant Resource Center.
The full text of the bill is available here.
Since 2013, Senator Hirono has led the introduction of the bipartisan Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act. Following years of advocacy from Senator Hirono and the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, in October 2017, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II. Senator Hirono also leads the introduction of the Filipino American History Month Resolution, which recognizes October as Filipino American History month and celebrates the history and culture of Filipino Americans.
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