For representatives and senators who are Republican, when your story is about family. This template keeps the focus on American citizens separated from their loved ones by government decisions — the family values and rule-of-law frame. Copy the letter below, fill in the [brackets], print, sign, and mail.
[Your Name]
[Your Street Address]
[Your City, State ZIP]
[Your campaign email: [email protected]]
[Date]
The Honorable [Representative/Senator Full Name]
[District Office Address — from Step 2]
RE: Proclamations 10949 and 10998 — Keep American Families Together.
Congress Must Act.
Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name]:
I am your constituent, and I am writing about the travel bans and
visa freezes created by Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998.
[ONE PERSONAL PARAGRAPH — pick the one that fits you, delete the rest:
• "I am an American citizen. My [husband/wife/fiancé(e)] is from
[country]. Our case was [approved / paused mid-process / unable
to even begin], and we have been [separated/waiting] since
[date]."
• "I am an American citizen. My [parent/sibling] is from [country],
and [he/she] [has never met / has not met] [my child / my
family] because of these proclamations."
• "I am a lawful permanent resident. My own family's case has been
frozen by these proclamations."
• "I am not directly affected, but I believe the government should
not separate American families by presidential memo."]
Our government ran the checks. Consular officers vetted our cases
under the standards Congress wrote. In my family's case, the process
[was completed and the visa was approved / was underway and our
interview was scheduled / was ready to begin]. Then a memorandum
froze it — not because of anything my family did, but because of
where my [husband/wife/parent/sibling] was born.
[If applicable:] The State Department itself has produced guidance,
in federal court, instructing that family and hardship exceptions be
denied — that they be "used rarely." Chikumba v. U.S. Department of
State, No. 1:26-cv-00332 (D.D.C.). A process that denies families by
design is not a process.
Until December 2025, Proclamation 10949 itself contained an
immediate-family exception — the administration's own policy
recognized that separating American citizens from their spouses,
parents, and children went too far. That exception was removed by
memo. It can be restored.
I ask you to take five actions, all within Congress's existing power:
1. Hold oversight hearings on the exception process and the internal
guidance produced in the Chikumba litigation;
2. Restore the immediate-family exception that existed under
Proclamation 10949 until December 2025;
3. Press for the resumption of processing at every stage — new
filings, paused cases, and approved visas;
4. Urge the State Department to preserve DV-2026 eligibility for
winners from affected countries;
5. Press for the end of the proclamations — restoring case-by-case
adjudication under the law Congress wrote.
[If you have a specific case:] I would also ask your office to open
a congressional inquiry into our specific case. I will promptly sign
any privacy release your staff needs.
I would appreciate a written response to [your campaign email
address / this address]. Congress must act.
Respectfully,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]
[City, State]
Enclosures: [list any documents you enclosed, or delete this line]How to use this template
- Replace every [bracketed] item; delete any paragraph or fill-in option that doesn’t apply to you
- Lead with your citizenship and your relationship — “I am an American citizen, and my wife is…” is the strongest opening for this frame
- Enclose copies (never originals) of case documents: approval notices, embassy letters, wedding or birth certificates showing the family relationship
- Print, sign in ink, and mail to the district office (from Step 2)
- Keep a copy of what you sent; when the office replies, send it to [email protected](Step 5)