[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 7, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
  S. 556. A bill for the relief of Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel; to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing private 
relief legislation on behalf of Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel, a couple 
living with their four U.S. citizen children in Camarillo, CA.
  Joseph and Sharon are nationals of Egypt who fled their home country 
over 19 years ago after being targeted for their religious membership 
in the Christian Coptic Church in Egypt. They became involved with this 
church during the 1990s, Joseph as an accountant and project 
coordinator helping to build community facilities and Sharon as the 
church's training director in human resources.
  Unfortunately, Joseph and Sharon were also subjected to threats and 
abuse. Joseph was jailed repeatedly because of his involvement with the 
church. Sharon's family members were violently targeted, including her 
cousin who was murdered and her brother whose business was firebombed. 
When Sharon became pregnant with her first child, she was threatened by 
a member of a different religious organization for raising her child in 
a non-Muslim faith.
  Joseph and Sharon came to the United States legally on visitor visas 
in November 1998. Due to their fears of persecution in Egypt based on 
their religious beliefs, they filed for asylum in the United States in 
May 1999.
  However, Joseph, who has a speech impediment, had difficulty 
communicating why he was afraid to return to Egypt, and 1 year later 
their asylum application was denied. Considering that Sharon's brother, 
who also applied for asylum for similar reasons, was granted asylum in 
the United States, Joseph and Sharon appealed the denial of their 
asylum applications, to no avail.
  While Sharon's brother, who is now a U.S. citizen, has filed a 
family-based immigrant petition on Sharon's behalf, it will be at least 
4 years until she will even be eligible for a visa number due to visa 
backlogs.
  If Sharon and Joseph are deported before then, they will not only be 
separated from their family but will be forced to return to a country 
where persecution of Coptic Christians continues.
  Due to their fear of returning to Egypt, Joseph and Sharon have 
therefore tried to build a life for themselves here in the United 
States, working hard while building their beautiful family. With the 
protection of past private bills I filed on their behalf, Joseph was 
able to get his certified public accountant license and opened his own 
accounting firm, where Sharon works by his side.
  Joseph and Sharon make sure that their four U.S. citizen children--
Jessica, age 18, Rebecca, age 17, Rafael, age 16, and Veronica, age 
11--all attend school in California and maintain good grades.
  Joseph and Sharon carry strong support from friends, members of their 
local church, and other Californians who attest to their good character 
and community contributions.
  I am concerned that the entire family would face serious and 
unwarranted hardships if Joseph and Sharon were forced to return to 
Egypt. For Jessica, Rebecca, Rafael, and Veronica, the only home they 
know is in the United States. Separation of this family would be 
devastating and the alternative--relocating the family to Egypt--could 
be dire, as it is quite possible that these four American children 
would face discrimination or worse on account of their religion, as was 
the experience of many of their family members.
  Joseph and Sharon have made a compelling plea to remain in the United 
States. These parents emphasize their commitment to supporting their 
children and creating a healthy and productive place for them to grow 
up in California. I believe this family deserves that opportunity.
  I respectfully ask my colleagues to support this private relief bill 
on behalf of Joseph Gabra and Sharon Kamel.
                                 ______