[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 32 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S2854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Cantwell, and 
        Mr. Dodd):
  S. 644. A bill to establish new special immigrant categories, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, many innocent human beings are forced 
from their homes and separated from their families because of war and 
civil strife. We are seeing it right now in Darfur, Sudan where over 2 
million have been displaced from their homes due to the conflict and 
ongoing genocide. It is frightening to think that some of those people 
are still susceptible to persecution just for being a woman or a child. 
I have heard stories that the refugees and internally displaced persons 
(IDPs) are still not safe from being persecuted by their attackers. 
Today, I am pleased to introduce legislation that will save the lives 
of some of the world's most vulnerable populations.
  The Widows and Orphans Act of 2005, similar to the one I introduced 
last Congress, will benefit women and children fleeing war and civil 
strife, who are often vulnerable and in grave danger. They may not be 
fleeing political persecution--something that would allow them to apply 
for refugee status--but they may nevertheless be subjected to violence 
or exploitation. When a culture does not recognize female heads of 
households, when a young child loses his or her family structure, or 
when a woman's home community will not allow her to return at the end 
of hostilities, abuse and exploitation often follow.
  For example, a widow fleeing an armed conflict risks being raped, 
being sold into sexual slavery or becoming a victim of violence. In 
another example, a child who loses his or her parents when fleeing a 
conflict is in grave danger of sexual exploitation and forced 
servitude. The child could even be forced into service as a child 
soldier, as we have seen happen to scores of children in Northern 
Uganda. Even within a refugee camp--a place that might otherwise be 
thought of as safe--women and children face forced prostitution and 
involuntary servitude.
  U.S. and international law does not currently provide refugee 
protection for age and sex-based violence. The Widows and Orphans Act 
of 2005 is much-needed legislation which would fill this void by 
admitting as special immigrants children and females at risk of harm. 
Under this bill, government officials, the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and appropriate non-governmental 
organizations will be able to identify vulnerable women and children 
for consideration as special immigrants who then can gain permanent 
residence in the United States.
  This legislation will allow officials in the field--those monitoring 
armed conflict and civil strife and those in refugee camps--to identify 
women and children who face harm because of their sex or age and refer 
them for consideration as special immigrants. The bill will essentially 
speed up the acceptance process by allowing officials with first-hand 
knowledge of cases to step in and identify those in dire need. With 
reliable security measures, it will also help eliminate fraud and abuse 
from those who wish to do us harm.
  For widows and orphans, abuse and exploitation are immediate dangers. 
This legislation provides officials at the grass-roots level the 
ability to prevent further harm from coming upon those who have already 
faced terrible situations.
  More than 80 percent of the world's displaced people are women and 
children, and thousands of them are waiting patiently for the OK to 
enter our country. While they wait, they are often victimized; some 
even die waiting. We must not stand by as they are left to die.
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