Speech #970042775

Let me start by saying that I support the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York adding "color of law" to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida . I believe that the term "color of law" would. if the information supplied to me is correct. allow the coverage for services by the Legal Services Corporation to be provided to nonimmigrants. Cuban and Haitian entrants. those who apply for asylum. those who have had their departure extended. and cases where the Immigration and Naturalization Service has given assurances that it would exercise its discretion not to enforce a departure. There is also another reason I support the amendment of the gentleman from New York which has not been touched upon today in the debate. As chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee. it is my hopeand I would suggest that it is the hope of all members of my subcommitteethat we do have an opportunity in this Congress to look at the entire subject of immigration and naturalization law for the purpose of reforming it. We are off to a good start. and I would say that the gentleman from Florida . as author of one of the amendments before us. is a most diligent. effective. and productive member of our subcommittee. Also. the gentleman from Texas who is on the floor. and is on our subcommittee. is very active. We have begun very well. We have before us the report of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Soon. I hope. we will have before us the views of the administration. based upon the task force report prepared by the Attorney General. When we study the entire range of this subject. then we will have an opportunity to weave into it this question of whether or not certain legal services ought to be made available to certain categories of noncitizens. I think if we act in advance of looking at the subject in totality. we may well make more difficult. if not make impossible. the task of passing a comprehensive piece of legislation. We have not only before us the argument that the gentleman from New York has made. based on the point which is certainly extraordinarily importantand that is whether or not people ought to have access to the legal systemwe also have before us a very practical problem. and that is unless we are very cautious in moving forward piecemeal. we may find ourselves in a trap where we cannot look at the immigration law totally. I would. therefore. urge support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York and urge opposition to the other amendments before the Committee of the Whole.