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[Congressional Record: November 14, 2002 (Extensions)]
[Page E2038]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr14no02-140]
HAITIAN IMMIGRANT EQUITABLE ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2002
______
HON. CARRIE P. MEEK
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, November 14, 2002
Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing a bill in
Congress which will amend the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 to include
Haitians as well.
My bill, the Haitian Immigrant Equitable Adjustment Act of 2002, will
provide the exact same legal rights to Haitian immigrants that Cuban
immigrants have enjoyed for almost 40 years.
Under my bill, the legal rights of Cuban immigrants would continue
unchanged. But Haitian immigrants would finally have the same rights as
Cubans, under the law.
Like the Cuban Adjustment Act, my bill would allow Haitians who have
been physically present in the United States for at least one year to
adjust to permanent residence status at the discretion of the Attorney
General. Like Cubans, Haitians would have to be eligible to receive an
immigrant visa and be admissible into the United States as a permanent
resident. Also as in the case of Cubans, spouses and children of the
Haitians applying for this adjustment are also covered.
Because there was no cut-off date or numerical limits for Cubans
covered under the Cuban Adjustment Act, there would be no cut-off dates
or numerical limitations for Haitians under my legislation.
Since the Cuban Adjustment Act became law, the Attorney General has
used his discretion to allow over 600,000 Cubans to become permanent,
lawful residents of the United States--making it possible for them to
eventually become U.S. citizens. During that period, over 400,000
Haitians have come to the United States, but over half were returned to
Haiti. Under my bill, these Haitians, like the Cubans, would be allowed
to remain in this country.
What made the Cuban Adjustment Act provisions take effect was the
U.S. Attorney General's willingness to use existing authority to allow
Cubans to legally enter the country. Once they entered legally, the law
took its course. I call upon the Bush administrations--both in
Tallahassee and in Washington--to treat Haitians exactly the same way
that Cubans are treated.
I have long sought to insure fairness for Haitians. In 1997, I
introduced H.R. 3033, the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act. The
provisions of my bill became law in 1998. It allowed Haitians who were
in the country at the end of 1995 and who were paroled into the
country, filed for asylum, or who were orphaned children to receive
green cards.
I have also fought against the Bush administration's policy of
indefinitely imprisoning Haitians who demonstrate a credible fear of
persecution. This policy is, by any standard, unfair and
discriminatory.
No other group of asylum seekers are treated this way. Non-Haitians
are routinely released into their communities shortly following their
initial asylum interviews and remain free throughout the adjudication
process to meet with their counsels and prepare their strongest
petitions.
There is no other group of asylum seekers to whom a blanket
indefinite detention policy is applied. The Haitian people are the ones
who suffer, and I will continue to do everything I can to end the
unfair, unequal and discriminatory treatment they suffer at the hands
of this administration.
____________________
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