[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THOMPSON:
  S. 1513. A bill for the relief of Jacqueline Salinas and her children 
Gabriela Salinas, Alejandro Salinas, and Omar Salinas; to the Committee 
on the Judiciary.


                          PRIVATE RELIEF BILL

  Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation to 
grant permanent resident status to Gabriela Salinas, 11, her mother 
Jacqueline, and her brothers, Alejandro, 11, and Omar, Jr., 4, all of 
whom currently live in Tennessee. Although I am aware that private 
relief legislation is enacted only in rare cases, I believe that the 
extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Salinas family merit 
consideration of this bill.
  In March of 1996, Gabriela, then seven, and her father Omar Salinas 
left their home in Bolivia and traveled to New York City to seek 
lifesaving treatment at Mt. Sinai Medical Center for Gabriela's rare 
bone cancer, ewing sarcoma. Gabriela, however, was denied treatment at 
Mt. Sinai because her family was unable to afford the $250,000 deposit 
required by the hospital.
  Days later, Gabriela and her father were flown into Memphis, 
Tennessee, for treatment at the internationally renowned St. Jude 
Children's Hospital. Actress Marlo Thomas, whose father founded St. 
Jude, after hearing of the Salinas family's misfortunes, arranged for 
Gabriela to receive pro bono treatment at St. Jude. Shortly after 
Gabriela's chemotherapy treatment began, her mother, Jacqueline, and 
her three siblings joined her and her father in Tennessee. The family 
received an outpouring of sympathy and support from the Memphis 
community and looked forward to returning to Bolivia once Gabriela's 
treatment was completed.
  Tragically, however, on April 14, 1997, prior to the end of 
Gabriela's treatment, Omar and Gabriela's 3-year old sister, Valentina, 
were killed in a car accident on their way back from Washington, D.C. 
to renew their passports. Jacqueline, seven months pregnant at the 
time, was permanently paralyzed from the waist down. This terrible 
tragedy generated national media coverage. As Jacqueline, who gave 
birth to a healthy baby boy two months later, had no other means of 
financial support, St. Jude Hospital generously stepped in to care for 
the family. The hospital, in fact, has made a commitment to provide 
full financial support for Jacqueline and her children to live 
permanently in the United States.
  Because they do not meet the requirements for permanent residence 
under current immigration law, however, the Salinas family will be 
forced to leave the United States following the expiration of their 
tourist visas. Although Jacqueline's son, Danny, nearly two years old, 
is a U.S. citizen, he will not be qualified to sponsor his mother for 
permanent residence until he reaches the age of twenty-one. Despite her 
background in teaching, Jacqueline does not qualify for permanent 
residence under any of the employment-based visa categories. Therefore, 
private relief legislation is the only means by which the family will 
be able to remain permanently in the United States.
  Gabriela and her family have suffered through a long and difficult 
ordeal. Yet, with the compassion, generosity, and support of the people 
of Tennessee and the nation, they have managed to start a new life. The 
family has settled into a new home in Memphis. The children attend 
school in the community. And Gabriela continues to be treated under the 
care of some of the best doctors in the world. With the expiration of 
their tourist visas approaching, it is my hope that we can act soon to 
prevent another tragic setback for the Salinas family. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______