Families Belong Together Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 30, 2019

Families Belong Together Act

This bill grants lawful permanent resident status to certain aliens who were separated from immediate family members by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Children and their legal guardians or parents shall be eligible if DHS separated them and failed to demonstrate in a hearing that the legal guardian or parent was unfit or presented a danger to the child. Such a child shall be eligible whether he or she remained in the custody of DHS or the Office of Refugee Settlement, was released to a sponsor, or repatriated to his or her country of origin.

Individuals who are inadmissible for various grounds, including those related to criminal activity or security concerns, shall not be eligible.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall grant all applications from eligible individuals for humanitarian parole or for lawful permanent resident status, and no application fees may be charged.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D–CT

Committees

Judiciary Committee

0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

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Jan 30, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 30, 2019
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Jan 30, 2019 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

HR 883 · Families Belong Together Act

Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Objective

Analyze S.271 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Discuss S.271, 116th Congress: Families Belong Together Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/271

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2019-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s271/BILLS-116s271is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:51:27Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.271 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.271 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Discuss S.271, 116th Congress: Families Belong Together Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/271

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2019-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s271/BILLS-116s271is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:51:27Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.271 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.271 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.271, 116th Congress: Families Belong Together Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/271

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2019-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s271/BILLS-116s271is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:51:27Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.271 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.271 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.271, 116th Congress: Families Belong Together Act

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/271

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2019-01-30.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s271/BILLS-116s271is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:51:27Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.271 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.