The Protect Patriot Parents Act aims to facilitate lawful permanent residency for parents of U.S. citizens who are serving or have honorably served in the United States Armed Forces. It amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow these parents to adjust their status within the U.S., deeming them as having been inspected and admitted . This provision specifically waives certain grounds of inadmissibility related to entry without inspection or prior removal. Furthermore, the Secretary of Homeland Security gains discretionary authority to waive other inadmissibility grounds, such as misrepresentation or unlawful presence, if the applicant establishes they pose no threat to the public and have not committed unrelated criminal offenses. The bill also addresses parents who were previously removed or voluntarily departed, requiring the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to establish a process for them to apply for an immigrant visa from abroad. A program will also be created to allow these eligible parents to enter the U.S. as nonimmigrants to reunite with their military children while their applications are pending, subject to security checks and potential waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds.
The Protect Patriot Parents Act aims to facilitate lawful permanent residency for parents of U.S. citizens who are serving or have honorably served in the United States Armed Forces. It amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow these parents to adjust their status within the U.S., deeming them as having been inspected and admitted . This provision specifically waives certain grounds of inadmissibility related to entry without inspection or prior removal. Furthermore, the Secretary of Homeland Security gains discretionary authority to waive other inadmissibility grounds, such as misrepresentation or unlawful presence, if the applicant establishes they pose no threat to the public and have not committed unrelated criminal offenses. The bill also addresses parents who were previously removed or voluntarily departed, requiring the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to establish a process for them to apply for an immigrant visa from abroad. A program will also be created to allow these eligible parents to enter the U.S. as nonimmigrants to reunite with their military children while their applications are pending, subject to security checks and potential waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds.