Congressman Al Green proposes bill to help deported constituent

HOUSTON, Texas -- A House Democrat from Houston is proposing legislation that he says would help the family of a man deported to El Salvador after 16 years in the U.S. without a criminal record.

U.S. Rep. Al Green said Friday that he would introduce a bill that would allow the return of people who have been deported but have a spouse or children who are U.S. citizens.

Green says he wants to reunite families like that of Jose Escobar, who was deported last year and now lives in El Salvador, while his wife and two children remain in Houston. Green visited Escobar in San Salvador in February.

The bill will face long odds in Congress, and President Donald Trump has pushed for new immigration restrictions and stepping up deportations.