[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HAITIAN REFUGEE IMMIGRATION FAIRNESS ACT

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, because of a tremendous bipartisan 
effort, and the support of many of our nation's local community 
leaders, a step toward justice and fairness for Haitian refugees will 
be taken by this Congress.
  The effort began on November 11, 1997, and will culminate in the 
passage of this omnibus budget bill.
  My colleagues, both in the Senate and the House deserve many thanks: 
Senator Connie Mack, Senator Kennedy, Senator Abraham, Representatives 
Meek, Conyers, Diaz-Balart and Ros-Lehtinen. The support of the White 
House was instrumental in reaching the final agreement to include this 
legislation in the omnibus appropriations bill. In both chambers, with 
both parties, the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act gained the 
support needed for passage.
  In so many instances, this legislation meant life or death for the 
refugees who came here seeking safety from persecution. In the field 
hearing, held in Miami last December, Amnesty International stated 
unequivocally that the safety of refugees who were deported to Haiti 
could not be guaranteed.
  I was so appreciative, not only of the bipartisan support that this 
legislation received, but of support that crossed national lines as 
well. From the beginning, the Hispanic community: Fraternidad 
Nicauaguense, the Bloque de Apoyo a la Unidad Nicaraguense, Unidad 
Hondurena, the Cuban-American community, and others have joined 
together to help their Haitian brethren achieve immigration fairness.
  The measure of this legislation's impact can best be seen through the 
eyes of those individuals who were most impacted by the previous state 
of affairs. I had the opportunity, the pleasure, to meet many of them 
at our hearing in Miami. Every audience member was moved by their 
testimony, by the personal accounts of their experiences in Haiti, and 
the brutality that they fled.
  I had the opportunity to meet others in this category on my trips to 
Haiti, and my visits to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Even in these harsh 
conditions, the spirit and determination of these brave individuals was 
remarkable, struggling to liberate themselves and their families from 
persecution and brutality. They are following in the tradition of 
fighters for freedom and justice worldwide.
  Our nation has, since its foundation, served as a refuge of those 
seeking justice and safety. The evolution of our country's current 
refugee policy is in many ways to ensure that we avoid situations, such 
as the one that developed, close to my home state, in the time leading 
up to World War II. The vessel St. Louis moored within sight of the 
city of Miami for several days, filled with passengers of the Jewish 
faith, fleeing the violence in Europe. Our country refused them safety. 
The passengers returned to Europe, many of them to their certain death.
  Since then, beginning with specific refugee legislation in the 
decades after the war and developing into the Refugee Act of 1980, the 
United States of America has offered freedom and sanctuary to those 
fleeing persecution, brutality, and human rights abuses.
  The bipartisan effort that led to the passage of the Haitian 
Immigration Fairness Act ensures that we maintain this valued tradition 
in the United States. We will treat Haitian national refugees in the 
same manner as we have treated similarly situated individuals over the 
last decades.
  In relation to one aspect of the legislation, I wanted to clarify the 
intent of the section dealing with stays of deportation. The intent of 
this legislation is that the INS would not seek to remove a qualified 
spouse or the child of a qualified alien who has applied for relief 
under this legislation, and received a stay of deportation or removal.
  Again, many of my colleagues in the Senate and the House deserve 
thanks for their tremendous support on this effort. It will make a 
difference in the lives of many individuals who are a part of our 
vibrant South Florida community. They will no longer be in immigration 
limbo, and can continue to build their part of the American 
dream.

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