Speech #980098955

The House of Representatives has included this language in their authorization legislation for the State Department. I rise at this time to offer this sense of the Senate resolution to S. 1342. It has frequently been my concern as a Senator from the State of Arizona. where we have many El Salvadorans that there is a tremendous problem for these people who come to this country and fear for their life if they are in fact deported. It has frequently been my concern as a Senator and as a student of American history. that all too often the relationship between American foreign and domestic policy in these two spheres is kept apart artificially and to the detriment of overall U.S. interests. However. the purpose of this resolution is to help deal with a problem originating not in the artificial separation of domestic and international policy. but in this instance. in the artificial linking of these policies. The problem that I refer to is the status of refugees coming from El Salvador to this country. We are all aware of our Nations relationship with the Government of El Salvador and our involvement in that country. The administration has made very clear its decision to help that Government fight off leftist forces backed by Soviet. Cuban and Nicaraguan aid and institute economic reforms to help rectify years of oligarchical rule. I have supported the President in this decision. which has not always been the most popular thing. but I believe he is right and that we have an obligation to help a country that has had elections and has asked our assistance. But we are considerably less aware of the extent to which refugees from El Salvador are coming into this country. the hardships that they have experienced prior to and in order to get here. andwhat is worst of allwe do not realize the hardships that they are forced to endure here in the United States. The State Department had advised the Immigration and Naturalization Service that at this time. it does not recommend the blanket granting of voluntary departure for illegal Salvadorans presently in the United States. A recommendation to grant voluntary departure for Salvadorans would include providing them with a safe haven in the United States until the political situation in that nation stabilizes. as well as providing other special immigration measures such as permission to work in the United States. According to the State Department. the high levels of violence in El Salvador do not warrant the granting of voluntary departure to Salvadorans presently in the United States. The State Department justifies this determination by indicating that basic public services are still being maintained in El Salvador. particularly in the major cities.