Speech #1010029585

I will go into further detail in a minute. about just how we became responsible. But first let me spell out what this act does and doesnt do. The major provision. section 3. paragraph (a) grants refugee status under the immigration law to "any national of Nicaragua who is outside Nicaragua and is unwilling to return to Nicaragua * * * until such time as the President certifies to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that democratic government exists in Nicaragua." This does not. however. apply to criminals. drug traffickers. or others who are currently ineligible to enter the United States under the exclusions contained in current law. In addition. Mr. President. I have written to Attorney General Thornburgh and to INS Commissioner Nelson. asking them to renew the practice of providing extended voluntary departure [EVDJ status to Nicaraguan refugees. This should be done whether or not the act I am introducing now is adopted. Now I understand the objections some will have to this. Some will say correctly. that giving EVD status will probably encourage more refugees to come here. because they will be able to live and work fairly normally while having their status assessed. It will also be said. that if individual refugees are able to demonstrate. under current law. "a wellfounded fear of persecution." regardless of country of origin. they can stayso we dont need a blanket extension of refugee status. Here I must disagree. No doubt there is a mix of motivations in what brings Nicaraguans here as refugees as opposed to. say. Salvadorans. It can be argued that there is violence in both countries. poverty in both. so there shouldnt be a major distinction made. These Nicaraguans. we are told. are just "economic refugees." like the illegal immigrants from numerous other countries. But there are differences. El Salvador is a democracy.