[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 109 (Thursday, July 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 5283

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. YVETTE D. CLARKE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2010

  Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 
5283, the Help Haiti Act of 2010, introduced by my colleague 
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. This bill normalizes the immigration 
procedures for certain adopted Haitian orphans that received 
humanitarian parole between January 18, 2010 and April 15, 2010. It 
allows their adoptive families, who are U.S. citizens, to apply 
immediately on their behalves to become legal permanent residents and 
eventually qualify for citizenship.
  As the Representative of the second largest population of first and 
second generation Haitian immigrants, Haiti has been at the core of my 
Caribbean agenda. That is why I am extremely concerned that more than 
1,000 paroled Haitian orphans being adopted by American families remain 
in immigration limbo due to a legal technicality. It is alarming that 
these children have to wait two years before they are granted legal 
permanent residency. If this situation is not addressed, these children 
will remain in this country without certain legal protections and are 
in jeopardy of being separated from their adoptive family and deported 
back to Haiti where they have no family.
  The legal technicality that put these kids in such a precarious 
position is yet another example of why our nation needs comprehensive 
immigration reform. That is why I am committed to working with my 
colleagues to make immigration reform a reality as soon as possible. 
Our national security is at stake; our moral standing in the world 
depends on it; and the American people, many of whom are first and 
second generation immigrants, demand it. I urge Congress to take a 
fresh look at the antiquated policies and bureaucratic backlogs that 
tear families apart and devastate our communities.
  Finally, I commend Congressman Fortenberry for addressing this issue 
and his continued support for the children of Haiti.