Speech #890015111

The program is carried out in cooperation with several voluntary agencies. religious bodies. and civic organizations. Mr. President. the talents of many Cuban refugees are going to waste because State professional licensing laws keep those without permanent status from practicing their skills or professions. This situation. and the expensive and laborious procedure to obtain this status under present law. is keeping refugees on relief rolls in various difficult circumstances. I am thinking of examples in Michigan. where. because of their immigration status. qualified Cubans have been unable to teach Spanish in the local public schools. It is obvious. however. that such refugees could fill an urgent need if given the opportunity for adjustment of status. Examples in Michigan are multiplied throughout the country. in every State and on the public assistance rolls of the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami. The bulk of the refugees are highly skilled and educated persons: qualified teachers of Spanish. professional. technical. and managerial workers. office personnel: and skilled workers. In my book. this reservoir of talent should be tapped to the fullest extent in the interest of the individual Cuban. for the development of our society. Legislation to permit an adjustment of status for Cuban refugees would help accomplish this objective. and also assist in phasing out the Cuban refugee program. Legislative action should also encourage the resettlement of Cubans to other countries in this hemisphere. where refugee talent would contribute to economic. social. and political development.. And certainly. there are no more effective spokesmen to describe the destruction of freedom under Castros brand of communism than the Cubans who have fled their homeland. Today. however. refugees are hesitant to leave the United States. Under their present immigration status they are not assured of reentry. if for valid reasons they choose to return. The proposed bill would help remedy the situation. The Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees. which I have had the honor to serve as chairman. conducted extensive hearings on the Cuban refugee problem. On the basis of its findings. I believe that passage of the bill I offer today would have beneficial effects for all concerned. It should be noted that the bill is permissive rather than mandatory. It does not automatically blanket all Cuban refugees with an adjustment of status. The bill is a limited measure. which will afford an opportunity for adjustment of status to those refugees who need or desire it to ply their skills and talents. The usual screening process. of course. would apply in all cases. Public Law 85559. enacted in 1958 for Hungarian refugees. is somewhat of a precedent for the bill I offer today. Mr. President.