[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S83-S85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 111. A bill for the relief of Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel; to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am offering today private relief 
legislation to provide lawful permanent resident status to Joseph Gabra 
and his wife, Sharon Kamel, Egyptian nationals currently living with 
their children in Camarillo, California.
  Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel entered the United States legally on 
November 1, 1998, on tourist visas. They immediately filed for 
political asylum based on religious persecution.
  The couple fled Egypt because they had been targeted for their active 
involvement in the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt. Mr. Gabra was 
employed from 1990-1998 by the Coptic Catholic Diocese Church in El-
Fayoum as an accountant and ``project coordinator'' in the Office of 
Human and Social Elevation. He was responsible for building community 
facilities such as religious schools, among other things.
  His wife, Sharon Kamel, was employed as the Director for Training in 
the Human Resources Department of the Coptic Church.
  Both Mr. Gabra and Ms. Kamel had paid full-time positions with the 
Coptic Church.
  Unfortunately, they and their families suffered abuse because of 
their commitment to their church. Mr. Gabra was repeatedly jailed by 
Egyptian authorities because of his work for the church. In addition, 
Ms. Kamel's cousin was murdered and her brother's business was fire-
bombed.
  When Ms. Kamel became pregnant with their first child, the family was 
warned by a member of the Muslim brotherhood that if they did not raise 
their child as a Muslim, the child would be kidnapped and taken from 
them.
  Frightened by these threats, the young family sought refuge in the 
United States. Unfortunately, when

[[Page S85]]

they sought asylum here, Mr. Gabra, who has a speech impediment, had 
difficulty communicating his fear of persecution to the immigration 
judge.
  The judge denied their petition, telling the family that he did not 
see why they could not just move to another city in Egypt to avoid the 
abuse they were suffering. Since the time that they were denied asylum, 
Ms. Kamel's brother, who lived in the same town and suffered similar 
abuse, was granted asylum.
  I have decided to offer legislation on their behalf because I believe 
that, without it, this hardworking couple and their four United States 
citizen children would endure immense and unfair hardship.
  First, in the ten years that Mr. Gabra and Ms. Kamel have lived here, 
they have worked to adjust their status through the appropriate legal 
channels. They left behind employment in Egypt and came to the United 
States on a lawful visa. Once here, they immediately notified 
authorities of their intent to seek asylum here. They have played by 
the rules and followed our laws.
  In addition, during those ten years, the couple has had four U.S. 
citizen children who do not speak Arabic and are unfamiliar with 
Egyptian culture. If the family is deported, the children would have to 
acclimate to a different culture, language and way of life.
  Jessica, age 10, is the Gabras' oldest child, and in the Gifted and 
Talented Education program in Ventura County. Rebecca, age 9, and 
Rafael, age 8, are old enough to understand that they would be leaving 
their schools, their teachers, their friends and their home. Veronica, 
the Gabra's youngest child, is just 3 years old.
  More troubling is the very real possibility that if sent to Egypt, 
these four American children would suffer discrimination and 
persecution because of their religion, just as the rest of their family 
reports.
  Mr. Gabra and Ms. Kamel have made a positive life for themselves and 
their family in the United States. Both have earned college degrees in 
Egypt and once in the United States, Mr. Gabra passed the Certified 
Public Accountant Examination on August 4, 2003. Since arriving here, 
Mr. Gabra has consistently worked to support his family.
  The positive impact they have made on their community is highlighted 
by the fact that I received a letter of support on their behalf signed 
by 160 members of their church and community. From everything I have 
learned about the family, we can expect that they will continue to 
contribute to their community in productive ways.
  Given these extraordinary and unique facts, I ask my colleagues to 
support this private relief bill on behalf of Joseph Gabra and Sharon 
Kamel.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 111

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

     SECTION 1. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, for the purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
     (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel shall 
     each be deemed to have been lawfully admitted to, and 
     remained in, the United States, and shall be eligible for 
     adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted 
     for permanent residence under section 245 of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) upon filing an 
     application for such adjustment of status.
       (b) Application and Payment of Fees.--Subsection (a) shall 
     apply only if the application for adjustment of status is 
     filed with appropriate fees not later than 2 years after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Numbers.--Upon the granting 
     of permanent resident status to Joseph Gabra and Sharon 
     Kamel, the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper 
     officer to reduce by 2, during the current or subsequent 
     fiscal year, the total number of immigrant visas that are 
     made available to natives of the country of birth of Joseph 
     Gabra and Sharon Kamel under section 203(a) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)), or, if 
     applicable, the total number of immigrant visas that are made 
     available to natives to the country of birth of Joseph Gabra 
     and Sharon Kamel under section 202(e) of that Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1152(e)).
                                 ______