Speech #970140163

Mr. President. for many months I have been concerned. as I know many Americans and Members of Congress have been. over the growing problem of refugees fleeing the escalating violence in El Salvadorespecially those Salvadorans who have reached the United States or who are already here. Despite strong representations .rom many quarters. including representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. the administration has closed our doors to those Salvadorans who do not want to return to their country during this time of violence and spreading conflict. This administration has willfully ignored past practice and has set about upon a policy to deny asylum or temporary safe haven to any Salvadoran. The evidence in this regard has been painfully clear for many monthssince I wrote to Secretary of State Haig last April 6 and the Departments response during hearings of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Policy in July. Throughout. the administration has refused to acknowledge the severity of conditions in El Salvador and they have denied claims of asylum or granting of extended voluntary departure. The latter is contrary to the past practices of both Republican and Democratic administrations. During the worst days of the Lebanese and Nicaraguan conflicts. the United States temporarily adopted a number of special immigration measures to deal with nationals from those countries who were in the United States. or who reached our borders. to grant them safe haven through extended stays of voluntary departure. To date. Mr. President. the United States has granted only one Salvadoran asylum in the United States out of nearly 2.000 who have applied. and we have refused to grant any extended voluntary departure. Not surprisingly. this record of indifference toward the plight of Salvadoram has come to the attention of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Representatives from the Washington liaison office made an extensive tour last October throughout the Southwest. reviewing the INS treatment of Salvadorans. Their report became available recently and. quite frankly. It is an extraordinarily discouraging one for those of us who have noted with pride Americas uninterrupted tradition of welcoming and assisting refugees.