[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 39 (Monday, March 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1900-S1901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 592. A bill for the relief of Alicia Aranda De Buendia and Ana 
Laura Buendia Aranda; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am reintroducing a private relief 
bill on behalf of the Buendias, a family who has lived in the Fresno 
area of California for more than 20 years. The beneficiaries of this 
bill include Alicia Aranda de Buendia and her daughter, Ana Laura 
Buendia Aranda. I believe this family merits Congress' special 
consideration.
  Mrs. Buendia works season after season in California's labor-
intensive agriculture industry. She currently works for a fruit packing 
company in Reedley, California. Mrs. Buendia and her husband have 
raised two outstanding children, Ana Laura, age 23, and Alex, age 21, 
who have both always excelled in school.
  Ana Laura earned a 4.0 GPA at Reedley High School, and was offered an 
academic scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley. 
Unfortunately, she could not accept the scholarship because of her 
undocumented status.
  Ana Laura nonetheless persisted. She enrolled at the University of 
California, Irvine and recently graduated with a major in Chicano 
Studies and Art.
  Remarkably, the Buendias should have been able to correct their 
immigration status years ago. In 1999, it appeared they had succeeded 
when an Immigration Judge granted the family cancellation of removal 
based on the hardship their son, Alex, would face if deported to 
Mexico. However, the decision was appealed and ultimately overturned. 
At this point, the Buendias have exhausted their options to remain 
together as a family here in the United States.
  In the more than 20 years of living in California, the Buendias have 
shown that they are committed to working to achieve the American dream. 
They

[[Page S1901]]

have a strong connection to their local community, as active members of 
the Parent Teachers Association and their church. They pay their taxes 
every year, paid off their mortgage, and remain free of debt. They have 
shown that they are responsible, maintaining health insurance, savings 
accounts, and retirement accounts.
  Moreover, the Buendia children are excellent students pursuing higher 
education here in the United States. Without this private bill, these 
young adults will be separated from their family or forced to relocate 
to a country they simply do not know. I do not believe it is in the 
Nation's best interest to prevent talented youth raised here in the 
United States, who have good moral character and outstanding academic 
records, from realizing their future.
  I respectfully ask my colleagues for their support of the Buendia 
family.
  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. 592

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

     SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR ALICIA ARANDA DE 
                   BUENDIA AND ANA LAURA BUENDIA ARANDA.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of 
     section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1151), Alicia Aranda De Buendia and Ana Laura Buendia Aranda 
     shall each be eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or 
     for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully 
     admitted for permanent residence upon filing an application 
     for issuance of an immigrant visa under section 204 of such 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) or for adjustment of status to lawful 
     permanent resident.
       (b) Adjustment of Status.--If Alicia Aranda De Buendia or 
     Ana Laura Buendia Aranda enter the United States before the 
     filing deadline specified in subsection (c), Alicia Aranda De 
     Buendia or Ana Laura Buendia Aranda, as appropriate, shall be 
     considered to have entered and remained lawfully in the 
     United States and shall be eligible for adjustment of status 
     under section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1255) as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Application and Payment of Fees.--Subsections (a) and 
     (b) shall apply only if the application for the issuance of 
     an immigrant visa or 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.
       (d) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Numbers.--Upon the granting 
     of an immigrant visa or permanent residence to Alicia Aranda 
     De Buendia and Ana Laura Buendia Aranda, the Secretary of 
     State shall instruct the proper officer to reduce by 2, 
     during the current or next following fiscal year--
       (1) the total number of immigrant visas that are made 
     available to natives of the country of birth of Alicia Aranda 
     De Buendia and Ana Laura Buendia Aranda under section 203(a) 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)); or
       (2) if applicable, the total number of immigrant visas that 
     are made available to natives of the country of birth of 
     Alicia Aranda De Buendia and Ana Laura Buendia Aranda under 
     section 202(e) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(e)).
       (e) PAYGO.--The budgetary effects of this Act, for the 
     purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 
     2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest 
     statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' 
     for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
     Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, 
     provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
     vote on passage.
                                 ______