[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 117 (Thursday, August 18, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     COSPONSORS SOUGHT FOR BILL TO REPEAL THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT

  (Mr. KOPETSKI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KOPETSKI. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Governor of Florida asked 
for Federal assistance in dealing with the increasing immigration 
problem from Cuba.
  I want to remind my colleagues that Cubans enjoy special treatment 
under United States immigration and political asylum law. Specifically, 
the Cuban Adjustment Act allows Cuban nationals who have been living in 
the United States for 1 year under any circumstances to become 
permanent residents of the United States. They can come here whether 
for political reasons or economic reasons. Other asylum-seekers cannot 
come for economic reasons; they need to seek the safety of political 
asylum into the United States.
  In practical terms, the act creates an exception to our immigration 
law for Cubans which is not available to persons of any other nation. 
As long as this preferential treatment exists, Cuban migration will 
continue.
  Mr. Speaker, some are estimating that as many as 1.5 million Cubans 
may arrive in south Florida in the coming weeks. The Governor of 
Florida is right to ask for Federal assistance because a special-
interest loophole in Federal policy is unfairly punishing his State. 
Let us end this now.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor my bill, H.R. 3854, to 
repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act.

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