[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 27 (Monday, March 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 453. A bill for the relief of Denes and Gyorgyi Fulop; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to offer today, 
legislation to provide lawful permanent residence status to Denes and 
Gyorgyi Fulop, Hungarian nationals who have lived in California for 
more than 18 years. The Fulops are the parents of six United States 
citizen children. Today, they face deportation.
  The Fulop's story is a compelling one; one I believe merits Congress' 
consideration for humanitarian relief. In May of last year, the Fulops 
suffered the loss of their eldest child, Robert ``Bobby'' Fulop, an 
accomplished 15-year-old teenager who died suddenly of a heart 
aneurism. Bobby was considered the shining star in his family. He was 
very bright and very helpful to his parents.
  That same year the Fulop's six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was 
diagnosed with moderate pulmonary stenosis, a potentially life-
threatening heart condition. Not long ago, she underwent heart surgery. 
I am pleased to report that she is doing much better.
  Compounding this unfortunate series of events is the fact that, 
today, the Fulops face deportation. They face deportation, in part, 
because in 1995 they went back to Hungary and stayed for more than 90 
days. Under the pre-1996 immigration laws, their stay in Hungary would 
not have been a factor in their deportation and they would have 
qualified for adjustment to lawful permanent resident status.
  Indeed, in 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Fulop applied to the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, INS, for permanent resident status. The INS did 
not interview them until 1998. By the time the INS had processed their 
application, the new 1996 immigration laws had taken effect, which 
barred from relief long-term resident aliens who traveled outside the 
U.S. for more than 90 days.
  One cannot help but conclude that had the INS acted on their 
application for relief from deportation in a more timely manner, the 
Fulops would have qualified for suspension of deportation under the 
pre-1996 laws, given that they are long-term residents of the U.S. with 
U.S. citizen children.
  This is a tragic situation. The rules of the game were changed in the 
middle of the Fulop's application for permanent residence, and because 
the INS failed to process their application in a timely fashion they 
are now facing deportation. The Fulop's children, who are United States 
citizens, were not included in the deportation order. But because they 
are minors they would likely have to follow their parents to Hungary. 
Growing up in the American school system, the Fulop children are not 
able to read or write the Hungarian language, and I believe that 
forcing them to leave the only country they have known would pose an 
extreme hardship for them.
  It is my hope that Congress sees fit to provide an opportunity for 
this family to remain together in the United States.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 453

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

     SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR DENES AND GYORGYI 
                   FULOP.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of 
     section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Denes and 
     Gyorgyi Fulop shall be eligible for issuance of immigrant 
     visas or for adjustment of status to that of aliens lawfully 
     admitted for permanent residence upon filing an application 
     for issuance of immigrant visas under section 204 of such Act 
     or for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident.
       (b) Adjustment of Status.--If Denes Fulop or Gyorgyi Fulop 
     enters the United States before the filing deadline specified 
     in subsection (c), the alien shall be considered to have 
     entered and remained lawfully and shall, if otherwise 
     eligible, be eligible for adjustment of status under section 
     245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       (c) Deadline for Application and Payment of Fees.--
     Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only if the application 
     for issuance of immigrant visas or the application for 
     adjustment of status are filed with appropriate fees within 2 
     years after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (d) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Numbers.--Upon the granting 
     of immigrant visas or permanent residence to Denes and 
     Gyorgyi Fulop, the Secretary of State shall instruct the 
     proper officer to reduce by the appropriate number, 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 aliens' 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 aliens' birth under section 202(e) of 
     such Act.
                                 ______