A Democratic bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "PROTECT Military Families Act," proposes amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to parole certain relatives of military members into the United States. Eligible relatives include spouses, widows or widowers, parents, or children. These relatives may belong to members of the Armed Forces on active duty or the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve. It also covers relatives of former members who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +7
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill creates a mandatory parole mechanism for qualifying relatives of military personnel.
- Scored +7
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?
The bill mandates the parole of certain relatives of military members into the United States.
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides a pathway for the relatives of current and former service members to reside in the United States.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Parole for Military Families: The Secretary of Homeland Security shall parole into the United States the spouse, widow or widower, parent, or child of certain military members (Section 2. (C)(i)). This provides a pathway for relatives of those on active duty or in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve to enter the country.
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Inclusion of Former Service Members: The bill includes relatives of individuals who previously served on active duty or in the Selected Reserve, provided they were discharged or released under a condition other than dishonorable (Section 2. (C)(i)(III)).
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Accountability for Denials: If a parole application is denied, the Secretary of Homeland Security must publish a detailed justification on a publicly available website (Section 2. (C)(i)(iii)(AA)). This ensures there is public information regarding why a request was not granted, though it will not include personally identifiable information (Section 2. (C)(i)(iii)(bb)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Requirements for Denial: An application for parole can only be denied if the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense, and Veterans Affairs jointly issue a written justification (Section 2. (C)(i)(iii)(I)). This responsibility cannot be delegated to others (Section 2. (C)(i)(iii)(II)).
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Limited Duration of Parole: The Secretary of Homeland Security shall parole the qualifying aliens into the United States in 1-year increments (Section 2. (C)(i)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill creates a mandatory parole mechanism for qualifying relatives of military personnel. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides a pathway for the relatives of current and former service members to reside in the United States.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill mandates the parole of certain relatives of military members into the United States.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish detailed justifications for parole denials on a public website.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill extends parole eligibility to the relatives of former service members discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
- 1/7/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon