Speech #960321496

President. after the triumph of the Sandinista government on July 19. 1979. some 15.000 Nicaraguans fled from the fear of persecution and Marxist retribution to the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Managua adopted a generous policy of granting tourist visas. with no questions asked. Those exiles who came to the United States thus faced an uncertain future. as more and more evidence accumulated of Sandinista murders. tortures. and imprisonments of any Nicaraguans who were "denounced" by their fellow citizens. In the midst of social upheaval and tragic actions. many opportunities for hatred. revenge. and personal advancement present themselves accompanied by passion and social disintegration. This combined with the Marxist dominance of the revolutionaries has led many of the exiles to believe that to return home would be an act of folly. if not suicide. Six months ago. the visas of these exiles were extended. expiring on September 28that is last Sunday. That date was the last deadline for voluntary departure. After that. the exiles face deportation back to Nicaragua to face the Sandinistas Marxist revenge. Despi:e the obvious danger these exiles face. the Cartel Administration has refused to extend their visas again. The State Department holds that each one of the 15.000 must apply for political asylum as art individual case. supplying supporting documents. This is a lengthy process. one that could take months or even years. leaving these exiles in a state of suspenlcd1 animation and with no settled means of livelihood. It is to be noted that these exiles do not enjoy the benefit of financial assistance or relocation support or counseling. The only concession which the administration has made is to extend work permits for 2 monthsan ambiguous response in the light of the indefinite tenure of asylum hearings. This hardnosed response contrasts with the treatment which has been accorded to the Cuban and Haitian exiles. Under the Refugee Act of 1980. the President has designated a special category of CubanHaitian refugees to enter as a class. and as we know. almost 150.000 have done so. Yet the administration has not done the same for the Nicaraguan exilesexiles who are clearly political exiles in the midst of revolutionary upheaval. I call upon the administration to do so now.