Chairman. I rise in support of the pending amendment. I think we need to remember. and be reminded every now and then during this debate. that there is a procedure. and there has been a procedure in effect for many years. since 1929 referred to in a shorthand manner as the registry date provision. whereby the status of immigrants can be regularized by the Attorney General through the Immigration and Naturalization Service. and that in the last Congress. in that version of this legislation. the registry date provision was updated to 1973 as a beginning of a period of time of living in the United States. which would entitle people to go to the INS and make a showing that they had ties in the United States and intended to stay here and were of good behavior and so on. They would get an artificial entry date that would. in effect. legalize them. In a manner of speaking. it is an amnestytype of provision.
Keywords matched
Naturalization Immigration immigrants