A group of bipartisan lawmakers in Congress has reintroduced legislation aimed at expediting the visa process for the children of Filipino World War II veterans, many of whom have spent decades separated from their families due to immigration backlogs.

U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, along with Reps. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, and Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., on Thursday reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2025, which seeks to remove visa limitations for these veterans’ children.

“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.,” Hirono said in a joint news release. “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.”

Murkowski emphasized the need to act quickly to assist the aging veterans.

“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,” Murkowski said in the release. “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.”

Case pointed out that many Filipino veterans have waited decades for the chance to be with their families again.

“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,” Case said in the release. “As these veterans near the end of their lives, they deserve the certainty of a non-revocable permanent solution.”

Case said the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would remove visa limits for the children of Filipino World War II veterans, allowing them to obtain green cards once their applications are reviewed and approved. He emphasized that the process would include thorough vetting in accordance with current immigration standards.

The bill would not only support these aging veterans in their later years, he said, but also serve as a well-deserved acknowledgment of their vital contributions during the war.

Kiggans also underscored the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by Filipino soldiers.

“Over 260,000 Filipino servicemembers bravely served alongside our country in WWII, and their service cannot be forgotten,” Kiggans said in the release. “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.”

During World War II more than 260,000 Filipino soldiers answered America’s call to serve under the U.S. flag; only a few thousand of these veterans remain.

Despite their sacrifices, Congress passed the Rescission Acts of 1946, denying Filipino service members the same benefits given to other World War II veterans. Decades later, in 1990, President George H.W. Bush granted U.S. citizenship to approximately 26,000 Filipino veterans in recognition of their service.

However, the law did not extend citizenship or residency to their children, leaving many families separated.

A lengthy visa backlog has forced some Filipino applicants to wait years for their cases to be processed.

In 2016, following advocacy efforts led by Hirono, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, which allowed veterans and their surviving spouses to reunite temporarily with their adult children and certain other relatives.

The sponsoring senators said in their release that the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act aims to provide a permanent solution by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove visa limits for the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the 1990 law or other specified legislation.

In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

In the House, co-­sponsors include Reps. Judy Chu, D-Calif.; Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.; Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii.

The legislation has received widespread support from advocacy organizations, including the Asian Pacific American Labor ­Alliance, AFL-CIO, Human Rights First, the Japanese American Citizens League, Lawyers for Good Government, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, the National Immigration Forum, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center and Veterans for American Ideals.