Contact Congress about H.R. 1698: American Families United Act
Some U.S. citizen families could get more chances to stay together when a noncitizen spouse or child faces removal. Immigration officials could consider family hardship more directly, but the bill excludes people with certain serious violations.
Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.
American Families United Act is a House bill in Congress.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects U.S. citizens whose spouse, parent, or child is not a U.S. citizen and faces removal or denial of an immigration benefit. It also affects immigration judges, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and people with past immigration denials or removal orders who may want another review.
Why this matters: This bill matters because it could change whether some U.S. citizen families are separated by immigration enforcement. Today, families often must prove hardship under strict rules. This bill would make family separation itself count as presumed hardship in certain cases. That could help some families, but the result would still depend on the facts and the official deciding the case.
Key provisions in H.R. 1698
- Immigration judges would get new power to help some spouses and children of U.S. citizens avoid removal. The judge must find that removal would cause hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child.
- Family separation would count as presumed hardship. This means separation from a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child would start in the family's favor.
- Judges and the Attorney General could waive some immigration bars during removal cases. They could not waive the listed bars for certain crimes, security issues, fraud, or unlawful voting.
- The Secretary of Homeland Security would get similar powers. The Secretary could avoid filing removal charges, decline to restart an old removal order, or waive some bars tied to immigration benefits.
- Some widows, widowers, and surviving children of U.S. citizens could still seek relief. They usually must apply within two years after the citizen dies, unless extraordinary circumstances explain a later filing.
How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 1698
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
Questions people ask about H.R. 1698
- What is H.R. 1698?
- Some U.S. citizen families could get more chances to stay together when a noncitizen spouse or child faces removal. Immigration officials could consider family hardship more directly, but the bill excludes people with certain serious violations.
- How do I support or oppose H.R. 1698?
- Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.
- Who should I contact about H.R. 1698?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain H.R. 1698 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
