Speech #910022113

Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my colleagues of the recent change which took place in the rules of procedure of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Nationality. The subcommittee is no longer automatically requesting departmental reports on bills for aliens who entered the United States as visitors. exchange visitors. or students. This latter group is now subject to rule 6 of the rules of procedure as are crewmen. stowaways. transits. and surreptitious entrants who evade immigration inspection. A Member introducing such a bill is required to request a waiver of rule 6 and to show the extreme hardship on which such request is based. Until a report is requested. the aliens case is handled as if there were no bill. This means that if there is an outstanding order of deportation the alien will be deported. Since March 12 a number of bills have been referred to the subcommittee. which are subject to rule 6. and for which there was no accompanying information to show extreme hardship. The subcommittee has assumed that this oversight was a result of the newness of the change and is notifying the authors of these bills of the necessity for additional information if they wish to have the subcommittee consider a waiver of rule 6. A prompt decision will be made by the subcommittee. However. I do urge that the Members be mindful of the fact that the mere introduction of a bill and furnishing the subcommittee with identifying information as specified in rule 4 will not stay the departure of an alien who entered as a visitor. exchange visitor. student. crewman. stowaway. transit. or surreptitiously evading immigration inspection. For the convenience of Members. I am including in my remarks the text of rule 6 of the Subcommittee Rules of Procedure: 6. The Subcommittee shall not address to the Attorney General communications designed to defer deportation of beneficiaries of private bills who have entered the United States as visitors. exchange visitors. students. stowaways. in transit. or deserting seamen. or by surreptitiously entering without inspection through the land or sea borders of the United States. Exemption from this rule may be granted by the Subcommittee in cases where the bill is designed to prevent extreme hardship. However. no such exemption may be granted unless the author of the bill has secured and filed with the Subcommittee full and complete documentary evidence in support of his request to waive this rule.