Speech #980179829

As an example. it might be determined that young men of draft age are likely to be suspected of being sympathetic to the guerrillas and therefore likely to be subject to a particularly high degree of risk. In my view. such a result is far more likely than a simple determination that all Salvadorans are in danger or that none are. If such categories exist and we can discern them. we can offer sanctuary to people who truly need it. while still enforcing our immigration and asylum laws. This is in fact an approach which the administration has already taken with regard to Southeast Asian refugees. Last. it is evident that there is a realtionship between the quality of refugee resettlement efforts in Central America and the legitimacy with which Salvadorans can claim political refugee status In the United States. In terms of our policy. however. I believe these issues should be treated separately. If there is a refugee problem in Central America. as evidently there is. the United States should take the lead in addressing it. and we should do so regardless of any conclusions we may reach about political conditions in El Salvador and the degree of risk facing deportees. International refugee agreements emphasize resettlement as close as possible to the country of origin. Congress can encourage Presidential action and can enact legislation. either separately or as part of a comprehensive Central American aid package. to assure that adequate resettlement efforts are made in countries of first refuge. These are specific issues which can. and I believe. should be addressed by the Judiciary Committee during hearings on S. 2131. In my view. however. the overriding need at this point is for Congress to deal promptly with the issue of Salvadoran refugees. S. 2131 offers an excellent foundation upon which the Judiciary Committee can develop an appropriate U.S. policy toward Salvadoran refugees. I am cosponsoring this measure with the hope that the committee will do so without delay. Mr.