Mr. President. today I join several of my colleagues as a cosponsor of S. 1424. the Polish Permanent Resident Adjustment Act of 1987. This bill should finally settle the status of about 7.000 Polish refugees in this country who arrived to the United States before or during the reign of martial law in Poland and who were kept in a status of uncertainty ever since. I have become aware of their plight through my own PolishAmerican constituents as approximately 300 of the these people reside in my State of Connecticut. While exempted from immediate deportation. these Polish nationals were given extended voluntary departure [EVDJ status renewed every 6 months. What this status conveyed to these individuals was that they were tolerated but not welcomed here. and that ultimately they were expected to leave. the sooner the better. This message was brought home to them with particular clarity at the last renewal when the State Department recommended against renewing EVD. which recommendation. if implemented. would have exposed these Polish refugees to deportation proceedings. I certainly would not stand for such a treatment of these people and I doubt that most of the American people would. Mr.
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deportation refugees