[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2474-H2475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MAKE THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE MORE RESPONSIBLE

  Mr. KLINK. Madam Speaker, the United States Government in all of its 
ineptitude is keeping an 18-month-old child from being able to live 
with her family. Our Government is keeping 18-month-old Heather Corbett 
in Poland while her family lives in Butler County, north of Pittsburgh.
  The Corbetts are like many families who for one reason or another 
choose to adopt a child. Heather Michell Corbett was born Dominika 
Katarzyna Hrabia. Her birth mother was unmarried and her father Jacek 
Hrabia is married, but to another woman. Both parents have consented 
that Heather Michelle, as she is now known, would be adopted by Dennis 
and Cindy Corbett of Butler, PA. In fact they gave their consent to the 
adoption in open court on November 8, 1993.
  But to this day--after 1 year and four months have passed--Heather 
Michelle has not been able to travel to her new home in Butler, PA. The 
reason--the Immigration and Naturalization Service will not give the 
child a visa to travel to America. Now understand this is the same INS 
that cannot protect our borders, as they allow thousands of illegal 
aliens from coming to this country every day--many with criminal 
records. Yet when it comes to this young child and her family no visa 
can be given, no rule can be stretched, no solution can be found to 
allow this young family to be together.
  If Heather's birth mother had abandoned her at birth, she could get a 
visa, but because both her birth mother and birth father cared enough 
to see that she got into foster care and was adopted by loving caring 
parents, the child and the loving caring parents are being kept apart 
by the INS.
  This situation has caused the Corbetts tremendous stress financially 
and emotionally. Mrs. Corbett has spent time traveling between Butler, 
PA, and Poland taking care of family members at both ends.
  Mr. Speaker, the building blocks of this great Nation are our 
families. If the family is not strong the Nation cannot be strong. 
Dennis and Cindy Corbett want to bring Heather Michelle home where she 
will be loved and will grow to be a contributing member of our society, 
but the Immigration and Naturalization Service says that because the 
child was not abandoned or deserted by the natural parents, because 
they specifically said the Corbetts should be the adoptive parents, 
Heather Michelle Corbett, age 2, cannot come to America.
  Drug dealers and murderers cross our borders every day. The INS is 
helpless to stop them, but now they have found someone they can stop 
and it doesn't matter what is wrong or right, it only matters to the 
INS that their rules are kept by the letter in this case, no matter how 
innocent the people are who are being hurt.
  This is no more that bureaucratic child abuse and the INS are the 
bullies that are perpetrating that abuse. And now, Mr. Speaker, you and 
others are aware and if we do not take action to make the INS more 
responsible we share in that abuse.
  I want to share with you, Madam Speaker, a letter that I received 
from Heather Michelle's grandmother, and she signed this letter June 14 
of 1994. We have been working very hard for a long time trying to bring 
this situation to some conclusion, we have tried everything that we 
can, and virtually we have run into a roadblock with the INS. The 
letter says:

       June 14, 1994.
       Mr. Ron Klink I am writing to you regarding Cindy and 
     Dennis Corbett of 195 Pineteck 
     [[Page H2475]] Road, Butler, PA. 16001, the adoptions visa of 
     Heather Corbett. I am Cindy mother and it has been a physical 
     and emotionally strain for me as well as the rest of the 
     family. I am a widow and live alone so I depend on Cindy for 
     moral support as well as financial decisions. It has also 
     been a physical and emotional strain on Cindy living in 
     Poland not knowing their language. It is also unfair for 
     Heather. She has done no wrong and in being punished. It has 
     also been a financial strain and emotional strain for Dennis 
     being separated from Cindy. Thank you for your help and 
     support for Cindy, and Dennis but try again.

  Madam Speaker, I just say to the Members of this House when we find 
this kind of problem in the Federal Government, that is why more than 
half of this House of Representatives was elected brandnew Members 
since 1990, because the people of this country do not want to see our 
government fail these families. They do not want to see these 
bureaucratic rules and red tape tie up innocent people, and that is 
exactly what happens.


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