FEIGHANI. for having brought it to the floor of the House today for consideration. Mr. Speaker. a year ago. 1 week after the House of Representatives passed the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. I introduced similar legislation to bring about the adjustment of the status of Cuban refugees. As the first congressional sponsor of legislation to make it possible for Cuban refugees to become American citizens. I am especially enthusiastic about this legislation. More than 300.000 refugees from Cuba have come to these shores since January 1. 1959. However. the severance of U.S. diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba on January 3. 1961. has made it impossible for a Cuban to apply for an immigrant visa since that date. Consequently. the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who sought refuge in this country have been unable to obtain a change of status under normal procedures and to become permanent residents or citizens of the United States. It has been possible. of course. for Cuban refugees to travel to Canada. or some other neighboring nation. and to apply for immigrant visas from there. To date. more than 75.000 Cuban refugees have become eligible for citizenship in that way. However. most refugees have not the resources or the time to make the necessary trip abroad. As a result. some 164.000 Cuban refugees are now in an indefinite and nonresident status in this country. Mr. Speaker.
Keywords matched
immigrant Immigration visa visas refugees