[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 74 (Friday, May 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SECTION 245(i) EXTENSION ACT OF 2001

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                               speech of

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2001

  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1885 has been assured of passage as a 
result of the participation of the White House to promote a four month 
extension while the President considers our request for a one year or a 
permanent extension. We should all applaud the bi-partisan cooperation 
which allows us to immediately relieve the anxieties of many immigrants 
who could not make the April 30th deadline.
  Last month I joined several of my New York colleagues by sending a 
letter to President Bush asking him to support extending 245(i) by at 
least one year. ``We are concerned that once section 245(i) expires, 
those individuals who have failed to apply by the deadline could face 
deportation, and in some cases, be barred from reentry to the U.S. for 
three to ten years. Many of these individuals are parents of natural-
born citizens of the U.S.'' Recently, President Bush has indicated he 
does support extending 245 (i) beyond four months. As a result, I look 
forward to working with the Administration and my colleagues to ensure 
legal immigrants are given extended opportunities to petition for 
permanent resident status.
  On December 21, 2000 former President Clinton signed into law the 
Legal Immigration Family Equity Act (LIFE Act) which reinstated section 
245 (i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. As a result, thousands 
of hard working immigrants were given the opportunity to apply for 
legal residence without the threat of being deported. Unfortunately, 
the deadline for visa petitions expired on April 30th of this year 
which left many immigrants in my district at a loss. Because of the 
backlog of immigration cases in large cities such as New York, recent 
immigrants seeking legal residence face a system that is ill-equipped 
to handle such a large volume of cases.
  Each day, case workers are inundated with hundreds of new cases that 
demand immediate attention. For this reason, I strongly support H.R. 
1885 which extends 245(i) for four months beyond the April 30th 
deadline. The four month extension will provide relief for thousands of 
New Yorkers, who due to no fault of their own, did not file a petition 
before April 30th. Extension of 245(i) would not only benefit legal 
immigrants who seek permanent resident status, but would ensure the 
United States economy does not suffer as a result of the mass 
deportation of thousands of immigrants. With the passage of H.R. 1885 
everybody wins.

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