[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 40 (Thursday, March 21, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E413-E414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2202, IMMIGRATION IN THE NATIONAL 
                          INTEREST ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 1996

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, today, I offer my amendment on behalf of 
approximately 800 Polish and Hungarian immigrants who legally entered 
this country between 1989 and 1991. My amendment will allow these 800 
immigrants to adjust their status to permanent resident so that they 
one day may become full citizens of the United States.
  This group of immigrants was paroled into the United States by the 
attorney general. Parole is a limbo status which gives them the right 
to live in the United States indefinitely, but denies them the 
opportunity to acquire permanent residency or citizenship. These 
immigrants have already endured much hardship and suffering. They came 
to the United States after living for years in refugees camps in 
Europe. All of the parolees where on the verge of gaining refugee 
status when U.S. refugee policy for those two nations changed. With the 
fall of communism in 1989, INS no longer accepted their refugee 
applications. In fairness to those who were far along in the 
application process, INS granted some of the applicants parole.
  The parolees have now been living in the United States for more than 
6 years. They are working and paying taxes. They have made new homes 
and adjusted to a new way of life. America is now their home.
  Unfortunately, the parole status places strict limitations on these 
new lives. Without residency or citizenship, they lack some of the 
rights Americans take for granted. These include the ability to qualify 
for in-state resident tuition at public universities and the right to 
travel internationally at will. That's right, they have no 
international travel privileges which has prevented them from visiting 
families for years. They have missed both weddings and funerals.
  INS predicted that the parolees would adjust their status through 
relatives in the United States who petition on their behalf through the 
family reunification program. Unfortunately, this has not happened. In 
many cases it is not possible to apply for adjustment through family 
members, and in other cases it could take many years. This is because 
U.S. immigration law allows permanent residents to petition only for 
their spouses and children. Citizens can additionally petition for 
siblings. Grandparents and cousins, regardless of status, can never 
petition.
  Many of these parolees were brought here, however, by distant family 
members. Without passage of this amendment, these unlucky individuals 
will never be residents. Some of the parolees were brought by brothers 
and sisters, many of whom came as refugees and are not yet citizens. 
Under current law, a parolee would have to wait 5 years for his or her 
sibling to become a citizen, then another 9 years for a fourth 
preference petition to become current. It would take 14 years for this 
kind of parolee to become a resident. Then again, if the bill currently 
under debate passes, siblings will

[[Page E414]]

not be allowed to petition for other siblings and therefore, the 
parolees would be without an avenue to adjust their status.
  Mr. Speaker, these 800 parolees have suffered much. Let's make their 
life a little easier and provide them with an opportunity to become 
full U.S. citizens. Please support my amendment.