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CNN Filipino WWII vets celebrated when the Parole program passed during the Obama administration. |
In the waning days of the Donald Trump administration, it is continuing to try and limit immigrants, the people he has attacked since the day he announced his intention to run for President.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Wednesday (Dec. 23) its intent to terminate the Filipino WWII Veterans Parole program and the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program by publishing a Federal Register notice on Dec. 28. There will be a 60-day comment period and the termination of these programs would not become final unless the termination is finalized by the Biden administration.
“To serve his pathological need to treat immigrants as cruelly as possible, and to undo any program ever created by Barack Obama, Donald Trump is dishonoring Filipino World War II veterans by ending the program that allows them to reunite their families in the United States," said Hawaii's Sen. Mazie Hirono when Trump first broached the idea last year.
"The president’s decision means many of these veterans in their 90s will likely die without seeing their families again," she said.
Filipino veterans were granted citizenship in recognition of their service to the U.S. during World War II. Many of their children, however, were not. Due to the volume of immigrant visa applications from the Philippines, it can take more than 20 years for families to be reunited.
Under the FWVP program, the adult children of Filipino World War II veterans, along with their spouses and children
"This action is cruel and heartless and yet unsurprising from an administration that has gone to great lengths to separate Black, Latino, Asian American, Arab, and Muslim families," Marita Etcubañez, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
During World War II, approximately 250,000 Filipino soldiers fought alongside U.S. forces. Even though the Philippines was still occupied by the U.S. at the time we entered WWII, many of these soldiers were not able to become U.S. citizens following their military service.
It was not until 1990, 45 years after the end of the war, that the U.S. finally passed legislation allowing Filipino WWII veterans to apply for U.S. citizenship. By this time, since most of the veterans’ children were no longer minors, their children were not eligible for derivative citizenship. The veterans had to apply for visas for their children and these applications were subject to the growing backlogs in family preference categories. Since Filipino nationals already faced some of the longest visa backlogs, there are family members of Filipino veterans that are still awaiting approval of their green card applications, 75 years after the end of World War II.
The Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program is a temporary administrative fix that allows these veterans to request parole for their children or siblings. Parole in this context means that the veterans’ family members are able to enter and live in the U.S. pending processing of their permanent resident applications. Many family members who received parole have not yet been able to obtain their green cards, and therefore, Wednesday’s announcement places them at risk of losing their status and being deported.
"Our veterans have endured so much. Those who are still with us are very elderly and should not have to face the upheaval of being separated from their family members once again. We need a permanent legislative solution for these families that would make green cards immediately available for their family members," said Etcubañez
"We call on President-elect Biden to continue the Filipino WWII Veterans Parole Program and the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program and to support passage of Representative Judy Chu’s Reuniting Families Act, which includes the bipartisan Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act."
