[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 30 (Monday, July 28, 1997)]
[Pages 1119-1120]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Proposed ``Immigration Reform Transition Act of 1997''

July 24, 1997

    I am pleased to transmit to the Congress today the ``Immigration 
Reform Transition Act of 1997.'' This proposal reflects my commitment to 
balance firm controls against illegal immigration with common sense and 
compassion. It would provide a needed transition for individuals who 
apply for a form of immigration relief called suspension of deportation 
and who had immigration cases pending before the 1996 immigration law 
took effect. It would prevent the inherent unfairness of applying new 
rules to old cases.
    This legislation also addresses the special circumstances of Central 
Americans who came to our country because of civil war and upheaval. 
Today, the remarkable progress in that region means that many of those 
people can return home. But as I assured the leaders of Central America 
when I visited the region in May, we want that to occur in a manner that 
avoids destabilizing the nations and economies of Central America, or 
imposing undue hardships on families. We also want to make sure that 
people who sought refuge in our country and who have contributed greatly 
to their local communities here in the United States are treated with 
fairness and dignity. To meet that commitment, this proposal ensures 
that certain groups of Central Americans whose cases were pending before 
the new immigration law took effect would be eligible to apply for 
suspension of deportation under the prior rules.
    I am determined to do all I can to preserve our Nation's tradition 
of generous legal immigration. But just as we are a nation of 
immigrants, we also are a nation of laws. To uphold the tradition of 
generous legal immigration and to do right by legal immigrants, we need 
to continue working to stop illegal immigration. The bill I am 
submitting today in no way diminishes the important enforcement 
objectives of the 1996 immigration bill, nor is it an amnesty or waiver 
program. Rath

[[Page 1120]]

er, it eases the transition to the new law for individuals who have put 
down deep roots in the United States--and it advances our Nation's 
strategic interest in promoting peace, prosperity, and stability in 
Central America.