Speech #1040191473

Mr. Chairman. the immigration bill. H.R. 2202. that we are debating this week in the U.S. House of Representatives exploits the deep hostilities felt across this land. that the problem of illegal immigrants has grown out of control needing drastic measures to curb. and seizes upon this Issue to justify other changes In current law which drastically change the family reunification principle which has governed how we decide to grant visas for new entrants. This merger of the issue of Illegal immigration with changes in the family preference categories currently allowed is unwarranted. These two matters should be separated. H.R. 220 should be confined to a debate on how to deal effectively with the problems of illegal Immigration. There Is no disagreement that this is a matter of concern which must be dealt with on the national level. But to be asked to vote for changes In family preference categories because you support proposals to curb illegal Immigration is unfair to families who have waited for years for their numbers to be called up so that they could call for their adult children to join them in America. H.R. 2202 repeals family preferences which currently allow reunification of family members including adult children. and siblings. For a Nation concerned about family. it is unjustifiably cruel to cut off this longawaited hope that the family could be reunited. Legal immigrants deserve to be treated better. Even more punitive is the provision in H.R. 2202 which although allowing parents to be Included in the definition of family allowed entry. requires that before they are issued visas they must have prepaid health care insurance. H.R. 2202 reduces the number of Immigrants allowed in next year under the family preference category from the current 500.000 to 330.000. This number would be reduced each year until it reached only 110.000. H.R. 2202 limits the number of adult children admitted to those who are financially dependent on their parents. are not married and are between the ages of 21 and 25 years. An exception is provided for adult children who are permanently physically or mentally impaired. Employmentbased visas will be Issued each year to 135.000 Immigrants. Refugee visas will be limited to 50.000 per year. These measures dealing with changes to legal Immigration should be separated out and dealt with under a separate bill. There is no justification for repealing the family categories and denying adult children and brothers and sisters from ever being reunited. All sections of the bill that deal with legal immigrants should be eliminated from H.R. The 1990 Immigration Act established a worldwide annual immigration limit of 675.000. not including refugees and other categories. Within this limit. 480.000 are familyrelated immigrants. with 226.000 set aside for: unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens23.400. spouses and children of permanent resident aliens114.200. married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens23.400. and brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens65.000. The 1986 amnesty provisions of the immigration law Increased the number admitted to a high which occurred in 1991 of 1.827.167. But this was due to amnesty and not because of the family reunification policy. There are currently 1.1 million spouses and minor children of lawful permanent legal residents on the waiting list. The backlog should be cured by allowing all spouses and minor children to be admitted Irrespective of country limits.