[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[October 25, 1994]
[Pages 1869-1870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Immigration and Nationality Technical 
Corrections Act of 1994
October 25, 1994

    I am pleased to sign H.R. 783, the ``Immigration and Nationality 
Technical Corrections Act of 1994,'' which will reauthorize the Visa 
Waiver Pilot Program, assist new refugees coming to the United States, 
improve laws relating to naturalization and citizenship, and speed the 
deportation of alien felons.
    The Visa Waiver Pilot Program was established in 1988 to allow 
visitors from certain countries to travel to the United States without a 
visa. The countries participating in this program grant reciprocal 
privileges to American visitors. In 1993, more than nine million 
international tourists and business people from 22 nations traveled to 
the United States under this program. This Act will help to promote U.S. 
tourism by extending the Visa Waiver Pilot Program for 2 years.
    The Federal Government provides approximately $400 million annually 
to States and voluntary agencies to help provide for health, employment 
related services, English language training, and other resettlement 
needs of refugees. H.R. 783 will continue the authority for this 
program.
    The Act also corrects a decades-old injustice to certain persons 
born outside the United States before 1934 of one U.S.-citizen parent 
and one noncitizen parent. Prior to the enactment of this Act, such 
persons could become U.S. citizens if the father was the citizen, but 
not if the mother was the citizen. H.R. 783 corrects this inequity and 
makes persons born before 1934 to a U.S. citizen mother and alien father 
eligible for U.S. citizenship.
    The Act allows for more rapid deportation of undocumented aliens who 
are convicted of serious crimes in the United States. The Act also adds 
certain crimes to the definition of aggravated felony. I sign this 
legislation with the understanding that convictions for crimes included 
in the existing law will be governed by the current effective date 
provisions, and that the effective date provision related to the 
expanded definition applies only to convictions for those crimes that 
have been added by this Act.
    Finally, I note that section 221 of the Act, relating to visits to 
the United States by Taiwan officials, is in potential tension with my 
constitutional authorities concerning receipt of Ambassadors, 
recognition of governments, and the conduct of foreign policy. Section 
212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (``INA'') permits the 
Secretary of State to exclude aliens where admission would have 
potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences. Were section 
221 of the Act read to restrict this authority, section 221 would 
impermissibly impinge on my constitutional responsibilities.
    Section 221 can be read in a manner consistent with the 
Constitution, however. Because the Congress has chosen not to modify 
section 212(a)(3)(C) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(C), I will construe 
section 221 as expressing the

[[Page 1870]]

Congress' own view that in the six circumstances enumerated, our foreign 
policy is better served by admitting these individuals, but ultimately 
leaving this determination to the Secretary of State under section 212 
of the INA. It is in this manner, consistent with the Constitution, that 
I intend for this statute to be construed.
    Accordingly, I am hereby directing the Secretary of State to weigh 
particularly carefully the foreign policy interests of the United States 
in considering any application by Taiwan's leaders to visit the United 
States in the six designated circumstances. These interests include 
maintaining the present peaceful conditions and robust economic climate 
in the Taiwan Strait region and the successful balance struck between 
our unofficial relations with Taiwan and our relations with the People's 
Republic of China.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,
October 25, 1994.

Note: H.R. 783, approved October 25, was assigned Public Law No. 103-
416.