[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H3054-H3055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CERTAIN PERSIAN GULF EVACUEES
The Clerk called the bill (H.R. 3646) for the relief of certain
Persian Gulf evacuees.
There being no objection, the Clerk read the bill as follows:
H.R. 3646
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN PERSIAN GULF
EVACUEES.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General shall adjust the
status of each alien referred to in subsection (b) to that of
an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the
alien--
(1) applies for such adjustment;
(2) has been physically present in the United States for at
least 1 year and is physically present in the United States
on the date the application for such adjustment is filed;
(3) is admissible to the United States as an immigrant,
except as provided in subsection (c); and
(4) pays a fee (determined by the Attorney General) for the
processing of such application.
(b) Aliens Eligible for Adjustment of Status.--The benefits
provided in subsection (a) shall apply to the following
aliens:
(1) Waddah Al-Zireeni, Enas Al-Zireeni, and Anwaar Al-
Zireeni.
(2) Salah Mohamed Abu Eljibat, Ghada Mohamed Abu Eljibat,
and Tareq Salah Abu Eljibat.
(3) Jehad Mustafa, Amal Mustafa, and Raed Mustafa.
(4) Shaher M. Abed and Laila Abed.
(5) Zaid H. Khan and Nadira P. Khan.
(6) Rawhi M. Abu Tabanja, Basima Fareed Abu Tabanja, and
Mohammed Rawhi Abu Tabanja.
(7) Reuben P. D'Silva, Anne P. D'Silva, Natasha Andrew
Collette D'Silva, and Agnes D'Silva.
[[Page H3055]]
(8) Abbas I. Bhikhapurawala, Nafisa Bhikhapurawala, and
Tasnim Bhikhapurawala.
(9) Fayez Sharif Ezzir, Abeer Muharram Ezzir, Sharif Fayez
Ezzir, and Mohammed Fayez Ezzir.
(10) Issam Musleh, Nadia Khader, and Duaa Musleh.
(11) Ahmad Mohammad Khalil, Mona Khalil, and Sally Khalil.
(12) Husam Al-Khadrah and Kathleen Al-Khadrah.
(13) Nawal M. Hajjawi.
(14) Isam S. Naser and Samar I. Naser.
(15) Amalia Arsua.
(16) Feras Taha, Bernardina Lopez-Taha, and Yousef Taha.
(17) Mahmood M. Alessa and Nadia Helmi Abusoud.
(18) Emad R. Jawwad.
(19) Mohammed Ata Alawamleh, Zainab Abueljebain, and Nizar
Alawamleh.
(20) Yacoub Ibrahim and Wisam Ibrahim.
(21) Tareq S. Shehadah and Inas S. Shehadah.
(22) Basim A. Al-Ali and Nawal B. Al-Ali.
(23) Hael Basheer Atari and Hanaa Al Moghrabi.
(24) Fahim N. Mahmoud, Firnal Mahmoud, Alla Mahmoud, and
Ahmad Mahmoud.
(25) Tareq A. Attari.
(26) Azmi A. Mukahal, Wafa Mukahal, Yasmin A. Mukahal, and
Ahmad A. Mukahal.
(27) Nabil Ishaq El-Hawwash, Amal Nabil El Hawwash, and
Ishaq Nabil El-Hawwash.
(28) Samir Ghalayini, Ismat F. Abujaber, and Wasef
Ghalayini.
(29) Iman Mallah, Rana Mallah, and Mohanned Mallah.
(30) Mohsen Mahmoud and Alia Mahmoud.
(31) Nijad Abdelrahman, Najwa Yousef Abdelrahman, and
Faisal Abdelrahman.
(32) Nezam Mahdawi, Sohad Mahdawi, and Bassam Mahdawi.
(33) Khalid S. Mahmoud and Fawziah Mahmoud.
(34) Wael I. Saymeh, Zatelhimma N. Al Sahafie, Duaa W.
Saymeh, and Ahmad W. Saymeh.
(35) Ahmed Mohammed Jawdat Anis Naji.
(36) Sesinando P. Suaverdez, Cynthia Paguio Suaverdez,
Maria Cristina Sylvia P. Suaverdez, and Sesinando Paguio
Suaverdez II.
(37) Thabet Said, Hanan Said, and Yasmin Said.
(38) Hani Salem, Manal Salem, Tasnim Salem, and Suleiman
Salem.
(39) Ihsan Mohammed Adwan, Hanan Mohammed Adwan, Maha
Adwan, Nada M. Adwan, Reem Adwan, and Lina A. Adwan.
(40) Ziyad Al Ajjouri and Dima Al Ajjouri.
(41) Essam K. Taha.
(42) Salwa S. Beshay, Alexan L. Basta, Rehan Basta, and
Sherif Basta.
(43) Latifa Hussin, Sameer Hussin, Anas Hussin, Ahmed
Hussin, Ayman Hussin, and Assma Hussin.
(44) Fadia H. Shaath, Bader Abdul Azium Shaath, Dalia B.
Shaath, Abdul Azim Bader Shaath, Farah Bader Shaath, and
Rawan Bader Shaath.
(45) Bassam Barqawi and Amal Barqawi.
(46) Nabil Abdel Raoof Maswadeh.
(47) Nizam I. Wattar and Mohamed Ihssan Wattar.
(48) Wail F. Shbib and Ektimal Shbib.
(49) Reem Rushdi Salman and Rasha Talat Salman.
(50) Khalil A. Awadalla and Eman K. Awadalla.
(51) Nabil A. Alyadak, Majeda Sheta, Iman Alyadak, and Wafa
Alyadak.
(52) Mohammed A. Ariqat, Hitaf M. Ariqat, Ruba Ariqat,
Renia Ariqat, and Reham Ariqat.
(53) Hazem A. Al-Masri and Maha A. Al-Masri.
(54) Tawfiq M. Al-Taher and Rola T. Al-Taher.
(55) Nadeem Mirza.
(c) Waiver of Certain Grounds for Inadmissibility.--The
provisions of paragraphs (4), (5), and (7)(A) of section
212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall not apply
to adjustment of status under this Act.
(d) Offset in Number of Visas Available.--Upon each
granting to an alien of the status of having been lawfully
admitted for permanent residence under this section, the
Secretary of State shall instruct the proper officer to
reduce by 1, during the current or next following fiscal
year, the total number of immigrant visas that are made
available to natives of the country of the alien's birth
under section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
or, if applicable, the total number of immigrant visas that
are made available to natives of the country of the alien's
birth under section 202(e) of such Act.
(e) Denial of Preferential Immigration Treatment for
Certain Relatives.--The natural parents, brothers, and
sisters of an individual referred to in subsection (b) shall
not, by virtue of such relationship, be accorded any right,
privilege, or status under the Immigration and Nationality
Act.
Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3646, a
bill I introduced as a Private Relief Bill on behalf of 54 families and
individuals seeking permanent resident status in the United States.
These families, known as Persian Gulf Evacuees, have lived and worked
in this country since being evacuated out of Kuwait, at the behest of
the United States government, just prior to U.S. Military Intervention
in the Iraqi invasion of that country.
More than 2,000 individuals, many of whom have U.S. citizen children,
by order of then President George Bush, were evacuated to keep them out
of harms way when the United States intervened militarily in Kuwait to
drive out Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction.
Many of the evacuees, prior to evacuation, had provided a safe-haven
for Americans caught unaware when Iraq invaded Kuwait, and hid them in
their homes against Iraqi retaliation.
Once here, the majority of the 2,000 evacuees adjusted their own
status, often through asylum procedures. These 54 families remained in
limbo, facing deportation and loss of work permits in the United
States.
The Persian Gulf Evacuees, better known as PGE's, are well educated,
mostly professional individuals perfectly capable of working and
supporting themselves here in the U.S. without becoming wards of any
State in which they have settled. They are English-speaking, and this
is especially true of their U.S. Citizen children.
These families were extensively investigated by both the INS and the
FBI, and have been cleared of any wrong-doing since entering the United
States, and none has been found to be members of any subversive groups.
I am deeply pleased to have been their champion since the 103rd
Congress.
I take this opportunity to extend my most profound thanks and
appreciation to my friend, Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Lamar
Smith. I am grateful for his good counsel and his able guidance over
these past few years as we worked to bring this bill or similar
legislation to enactment. My thanks go also to his capable staff for
their long-term, hard work on behalf of the Persian Gulf Evacuees.
I also extend my sincere thanks to Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry
Hyde, my good friend and a distinguished leader on immigration matters
in the House, for his action to report H.R. 3646 favorably from his
Committee, paving the way for passage of this vitally important
legislation.
I salute the Persian Gulf Evacuees, for their patience throughout the
years it has taken to bring this bill to enactment. The nationwide
teamwork among the PGE's worked remarkably well. The PGE Team Leaders
not only keep my office advised of any problems they faced, while
awaiting legal permanent status in their adopted country, such as work
permits so that they could remain self-sufficient and not in need of
public assistance, but helped each family keep track of the legislative
process.
They did an outstanding job, and I congratulate them not only for all
their work, but as mentioned above, for their excellent patience
throughout.
And finally, I wish to thank Dr. Hala Maksoud, of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and her staff, for bringing this
matter to my attention during the 103rd Congress, and for their solid
support for the legislation throughout the years of waiting.
I believe our action today makes this new, challenging century in
America one that will be remembered by these 54 families for its
compassionate understanding, and is an acknowledgment of the duty we
have to discharge our responsibility toward those who come to America
at the behest of our own Government.
We have, with the able assistance of Subcommittee Chairman Lamar
Smith and his fine staff, responded to their economic needs by ensuring
the continual approval of work permits, and by keeping them free of INS
deportation actions until our action today could be brought to
fruition.
It was not an easy task, and knowing this makes us even more grateful
for the assistance we have received.
I am confident that the PGE's will continue, as they have during the
10 year period they have been in this country, to work hard, to remain
good citizens, and to make important contributions to the American
socio-economic structure as legal, permanent residents of this great
country.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the
table.
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