[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY:
  S. 1926. A bill for the relief of Regine Beatie Edwards; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.


                       private relief legislation

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today I am proposing a private relief 
bill, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, that would classify 
Regine Beatie Edwards as a child, and therefore, allow her to become a 
citizen of the United States.

  This bill originates from a request of Mr. Stan Edwards, a United 
States citizen and Regine's adopted father, concerning his daughter's 
naturalization application. Regine Beatie Edwards was born on August 3, 
1980 in Germany and arrived in the United States with her mother on 
October 16, 1994. In 1997, Mr. Edwards, on several occasions, contacted 
the Immigration and Naturalization Service to obtain the proper form to 
apply for his daughter's naturalization. In response, the INS sent Mr. 
Edwards the form N-643, Application for Certificate in Behalf of an 
Adopted Child, and notified him that the adoption must be completed and 
that the application must be submitted by his daughter's 18th birthday. 
On January 13, 1997, Regine was legally adopted by Mr. Edwards. At this 
time, Regine was 16\1/2\ years old. After the completion of the 
adoption, Mr. Edwards delivered his daughter's application, in person, 
to the INS office in Omaha, Nebraska on March 27, 1997.
  Over the following months, Mr. Edwards became concerned about the 
amount of time that had passed since the submission of the application 
to the INS. In January of 1998, the INS reported that Regine Edwards' 
application was to be denied because the adoption had not been 
completed by the child's 16th birthday and that the form N-643 was the 
incorrect form for application. This new information contradicted what 
the INS had previously told Mr. Edwards that Regine had to be adopted 
by her 18th birthday. The INS indicated that Mr. Edwards' daughter had 
met three of the four qualifications to qualify for citizenship. As a 
result of this misinformation, Regine did not meet the qualification of 
an adoption by a citizen parent before the child had reached the age of 
sixteen. In response to the incorrect information given in this case, 
the INS refunded the money for the N-643 application to Mr. Edwards.
  I feel that Regine Edwards should not be denied citizenship due to 
the wrong information provided by the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service. The Edwards family fulfilled the qualifications that they were 
originally told by the INS were necessary. Unfortunately, Mr. Edwards 
was misinformed which has cost his daughter the opportunity for 
citizenship at this time. Mr. President, I ask you and my fellow 
colleagues to support this young woman by allowing her to fulfill her 
wish to become a United States citizen and not deprive her of this 
opportunity.
                                 ______