Speaker. I rise today to bring your attention to a situation In my congressional district that bears watching. Just 1 year ago the Rio Grande Valley was flooded by a wave of immigrants from Central America seeking asylum. Due to policies in place with the Immigration and Naturalization Service at that time. those who were not granted asylum were released on their own recognizance to await further action on their cases. However. they were not granted work permits and were prevented from leaving a limited geographic area. At that time. the people of Cameron County. TX. were put in the position of paying for our national immigration policy. It was an intolerable situation that must never be repeated. I had the opportunity of meeting yesterday with our new Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He has assured me that the INS is ready to meet any immigration challenges that may occur along the Texas border and is prepared to adjust enforcement as necessary. I am encouraged by his personal interest in this important matter. However.
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Immigration Naturalization immigration immigrants work permits seeking asylum