[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H1831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IMMIGRATION RELIEF FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF OF FERDINAND MARCOS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to re-introduce a bill 
that provides immigration relief for the support staff of Ferdinand 
Marcos. This bill is similar to H.R. 4370, which I introduced in the 
106th Congress.
  In 1986, President Marcos of the Philippines was granted political 
asylum in the United States to avert civil conflagration because of a 
popular uprising against his regime. The civil unrest arose following a 
controversial election in which President Marcos claimed to have 
defeated Corazon Aquino but was widely accused of election fraud. 
Growing street demonstrations in support of Mrs. Aquino raised fears of 
violence against what many viewed as a fraudulent election result. 
President Marcos left the Philippines on February 25, 1986 at U.S. 
urging and went into exile in Hawaii.
  President Marcos, his wife Imelda and 88 members of his staff and 
their families were advised that they were being allowed into the 
United States with ``parole'' status for the convenience of the U.S. 
Government. This status is a legal fiction in which the individual is 
physically present in the United States but had never been ``admitted'' 
to the United States. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) 
can terminate parole status at any time. The individual can be treated 
as if he or she had entered the United States illegally and had no 
right to be here. In this case, it is extremely unfair.
  INS has instituted proceedings to expel some of these individuals and 
their families but not all of them. The only pattern which seems to 
exist is that only individuals living in Hawaii are targeted for 
removal or exclusion proceedings. Based on reports I have received, no 
member of the Marcos entourage who moved to the mainland had been the 
target of any exclusion, deportation or removal proceeding.
  These immigrants were invited to the United States to help care for 
President Marcos who was already ailing and died in 1989. They were 
told that they could bring their families with them. They have been in 
the United States for fourteen years and are fully integrated into our 
society. These people should not be deported. They came to the U.S. for 
an important reason. Because that reason is now past should not cause 
us to turn against them.
  To rectify this unfair treatment, the bill grants the individuals and 
their families the right to remain in the United States. These honest, 
hardworking people came to the United States at the invitation of our 
government. Their presence was known and they have done nothing to 
violate our immigration laws. To uproot them would be an injustice to 
them and their families that we should not allow.
  The exile Marcos government in Hawaii was instigated by the U.S. to 
save the Philippines from political turmoil and rebellion. Those who 
came to implement this policy to end civil unrest in the Philippines 
should have the protection of this government.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________