Speech #890282666

Mr. Speaker. in this area of legislation on the Cuban refugees. there are. I know. a number of questions In the minds of individual Members of this body that perhaps need answering. I would first say that the question of the Cuban refugees and the adjustment of their status came before us in the Immigration Amendments of 1965. wherein the other body amended the work of the House to provide for the adjustment of the status of the Cuban refugees that were In this country at that time. In the conference. desiring to protect the position of the Members of the House. I objected very strenuously to the inclusion of the Cuban refugees and the adjustment of their status at that time. Basically the reason for doing so was that I felt there were diplomatic implications involved. and that this could be construed as recognition of Castro. or at least this Nation resigning itself to the fact that Castro was a permanent fixture in the Caribbean. For that and other reasons the conference committee did strike the work of the other body. and the question of Cuban refugees remained to be handled in separate legislation. We have gone over all the questions that I think perhaps might be in the minds of individual Members. There CXII- 1445--Part 17 are a number of Cuban refugees who have been here since January 1959 that have already adjusted their status. approximately 75.000 of them. They have either adjusted their status during the period of time we still had diplomatic relations with Castro or they were of such affluence that they could go to Canada or any one of the adjacent nations on this continent and adjust their status. Therefore. we were presented with the problem that there are a number of Cuban refugees who. by professional training and experience. could qualify to perform jobs. professional in nature. I should also say. in the United States. but by reason of the fact that they were only here in parole status. they did not or could not obtain sufficient funds to adjust their status. They were precluded from following their professions or following their vocations. That was simply because a number of States made a requirement that individuals. before they could be employed. either had to be permanent residents or. in some instances. U.S. citizens. Therefore. this legislation came to us. and the membership of the subcommittee reported unanimously that they felt that this should be a voluntary type of legislation. meaning that of some 300.000 Cuban refugees in this country. approximately 164.000 of whom have not yet adjusted their status could do so upon application to the Attorney General on a voluntary basis. This legislation does not make one single Cuban refugee a permanent resident of the United States. It only gives him the opportunity to present to the Attorney General a petition requesting that he be adjusted to permanent residence in the United States. The Attorney General then must act on that petition. in the same manner as on any that would come before him. considering all the questions of qualification. all the security measures. and all the various requirements of the immigration law which must be met before the Attorney General himself can approve or adjust the status of any individual Cuban. Therefore. I would say.