[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for Mr. Corzine (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mrs. 
        Clinton, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lautenberg, 
        Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Feingold)):
  S. 1620. A bill to provide the nonimmigrant spouses and children of 
nonimmigrant aliens who perished in the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks an opportunity to adjust their status to that of an alien 
lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the September 
11 Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act and to urge all of my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.
  On September 11, 2001, the world we live in was torn apart. Each of 
us, no matter where we lived, shared in the overwhelming sense of loss 
and grief. We shared our grief with the victims, their loved ones, and 
their friends. And each of us joined together in the midst of the 
devastation to unite as Americans and to show the terrorists that we 
will not be divided.
  At that time of grief, we stood together as families, as communities, 
and as one Nation. We were all personally touched by this outrageous 
crime. And we stood together to show the terrorists that although they 
might destroy our buildings, they could never destroy the foundation of 
our democracy.
  Over the years our Nation has matured, and we have become a vast 
melting pot of cultures and of people, joining together to create the 
America of today that we love and cherish.
  The terrorists sought to destroy our great Nation and the very values 
upon which our country was built. But they were sorely mistaken. No 
matter how hard they try, they will never force us to turn our back on 
our values.
  And that means that we can never turn our back on the victims of the 
terrorist attacks or on their family members. On September 11, almost 
three thousand people were killed. Many of the victims left behind 
husbands, wives, sons, and daughters. We cannot turn our back on them. 
We can not allow these attacks, and the terrorists who perpetrated 
them, to undercut the love of freedom, justice, and community that 
makes us who we are.
  Terrorists did not distinguish non-documented immigrants from 
documented immigrants or natural born citizens on September 11. On that 
date, we were all Americans, attacked by a determined enemy who sought 
to break our spirit and destroy our way of life.
  That is why I have joined with my colleagues to introduce this 
legislation, which will provide legal recognition and protection to 
family members of non-citizen victims of the September 11 terrorist 
attacks.
  Many of our immigrant residents lost loved ones that day, and no 
person who has faced such personal heartache and hardship at the hands 
of terrorists should be forced to face deportation.
  Moreover, these family members should be permitted to remain here to 
visit the memorials that are presently being built in New York and 
other locations to honor the victims who perished in the terrorist 
attacks. In many cases, these memorials will be all that husbands, 
wives, and children, have left to remember their loved ones.
  This bipartisan bill will end deportation procedures, and allow 
husbands, wives, sons, and daughters of non-citizen victims killed in 
New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia nearly four years ago to apply for 
green cards that will allow them to become permanent legal residents. 
The act will apply to dependents of the deceased victims of the 
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as determined by the September 11 
Victims Compensation Fund.
  The USA Patriot Act initially allowed many of these individuals to 
stay in the country. However, that provision expired on September 10, 
2002. Moreover, many others were never protected by the Patriot Act 
legislation. All of these individuals today face the prospect of 
deportation.
  Although our government has not moved forward with deportation 
procedures, the status of these families, who have already been through 
so much, remains uncertain. This Act would provide the permanent relief 
these families need and deserve.
  And so I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation and in demonstrating to the spouses and children of the 
non-citizen victims of September 11 that we are all Americans.
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