[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3358-S3359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 1961. A bill for the relief of Suchada Kwong; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.


                       private relief legislation

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am offering today, legislation that 
would provide permanent residency to Suchada Kwong, a recently widowed 
young mother of a U.S. citizen child who faces the devastation of being 
separated from her child and family here in the United States.
  Suchada Kwong's U.S. citizen husband, Jimmy Kwong, was tragically 
killed in an automobile accident in June of 1996, leaving a 3-month-old 
U.S.-born son and his 29-year-old bride.
  Because current law does not allow Suchada to adjust her status to 
permanent residency without her husband, Suchada now faces deportation.
  Suchada and Jimmy Kwong met in Bangkok, Thailand, through a mutual 
friend in 1993. He communicated with her frequently by phone and 
visited her every time he was in Bangkok. They fell in love and were 
married in September 1995, and Suchada gave birth to Ryan Stephen Kwong 
in May 1996.
  Suchada was supposed to have her INS interview on August 15, 1996. 
However, Jimmy was killed in an accident in June, less than 3 weeks 
after his son was born and 2 months short of the INS interview. Now, 
because the petitioner is deceased, Suchada is ineligible to adjust her 
status. While the immigration law provides for widows of U.S. citizens 
to self-petition, that provision is only available for people who have 
been married for over 2 years.
  Suchada's deportation will not only cause hardship to her and her 
young child but to Suchada's mother-in-law, Mrs. Kwong, who faces 
losing her grandson, only a short time after she lost her only son.
  Mrs. Kwong is elderly, and though she is financially capable, could 
not care for her grandson herself. Mrs. Kwong is proud to be self-
supporting, having owned and worked in a small business until her 
retirement. The family has never used public assistance, and through 
Jimmy's job, the family has sufficient resources to support Suchada and 
Ryan. It would also be difficult for Suchada as a single mother in 
Thailand. Here in the United States, she has the support of Mrs. Kwong 
and their church.
  Suchada was granted voluntary departure for one year on October 1996 
to explore other options or prepare to leave the United States. During 
that time period, Suchada and her family have explored all options but 
failed. Now, the voluntary departure period has expired and Suchada 
must leave the country, leaving behind her young child and her family 
here in the United States.
  Suchada has done everything she could to become a permanent resident 
of this country--except for the tragedy of her husband's death 2 months 
before she could become a permanent resident. I hope you support this 
bill so that we can help Suchada begin rebuilding her life in the 
United States.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1961

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page S3359]]

     SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENCE.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), 
     Suchada Kwong shall be held and considered to have been 
     lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent 
     residence as of the date of the enactment of this Act upon 
     payment of the required visa fees.
                                 ______