Summary: HR 8608, introduced by Representative David P. Morales on June 03, 2022, and referred to the House Judiciary, is a resolution requesting that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) exercise discretion in adjudicating status applications in accordance with historical practices. The resolution emphasizes the importance of family unity and the rights of Rhode Islanders to due process, which includes the ability to sponsor immigrant spouses for lawful permanent residence without facing forced separation through consular processing. It underscores the longstanding congressional intent behind immigration laws that promote family unity and the adjustment of status provisions that allow certain aliens present in the U.S. to become lawful permanent residents without the need to travel abroad.

The resolution condemns the recent USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, which, if implemented, could disrupt over seventy years of established immigration law and potentially lead to indefinite separations of U.S. citizens from their spouses. The House urges USCIS to continue its historical practice of favorably exercising discretion in these cases, thereby protecting the rights of families and ensuring that due process is upheld. The resolution calls for certified copies to be sent to various government officials, including the Governor of Rhode Island and key figures in the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS.