Speech #1020203536

Less than 1 year later the administration extended this deferred enforced departure program for approximately 4 more years--through January 1. 1994. Congress is sometimes criticized for waiting until the last minute to get its work done. Congress could wait until the end of next year (1993) before deciding whether to extend any immigration benefits to this population. It seems to me. however. that there is no benefit in that approach. It is highly unlikely that by the end of next year the PRC will have been transformed into a safe. secure. democratic and freedom loving country. But should that happen. and should the President certify to Congress that it is safe for the Chinese here in the United States to return to China. the benefits of this bill will. under the terms of this bill. not be made available to anyone. Thus. we have nothing to gain by waiting to enact this measure. We could simply allow this entire population to apply for asylum. but that would add 80.000 cases to an already hopelessly backlogged asylum caseload of 120.000. And since over 90 percent of all PRC nationals who apply for asylum receive it. It makes little sense to compel INS to provide individual asylum hearings for cases that we know will ultimately be approved. The bill provides lawful permanent residency to the approximately 80.000 PRC nationals. both student and nonstudent alike. who have been living here under safe haven since June 1989. Criminals. drug traffickers and those who are otherwise security risks are prohibited from receiving this benefit. In the past. this committee has acted on numerous occasions to regularize the immigration status of persons who had been here a significant amount of time. who had become Americanized by virtue of time spent in the United States. and who faced an uncertain future if returned to their home countries. In 1986. for example. the Immigration Reform and Control Act extended permanent resident status to the thousands of Cuban and Haitian nationals who had arrived during the Mariel boatlift episode. In 1987 the President signed into law a measure that permitted Ethiopians. Afghans. and Poles. who had been living here since 1984 under extended voluntary departure status. to become permanent resident aliens. In 1989 this committee approved a measure. which subsequently became law. that allowed approximately 10.000 Soviet and Vietnamese parolees to become permanent resident aliens. And so the precedents for this bill are ample. The only real difference between this measure and prior measures is that under S. 1216 all visas issued will be counted under the worldwide quota. in previous programs the visas were provided over and above the quota. Mr. Speaker. this measure was approved on June 24. by the Subcommittee on International Law. Immigration and Refugees. which I have the privilege to chair. The full Judiciary Committee approved the bill. with minor amendments. on July 22. In each instance the bill enjoyed wide. bipartisan support. and it is also supported by the administration.