Senators Jon S. Corzine (D-NJ) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) may have moved a tiny step forward in their effort to protect the families of victims of the 9-11 disaster. Last week, an amendment to the omnibus Appropriations Bill pending before the U.S. Senate, sponsored by the two, was passed. It prevents federal funds from being used to deport documented or undocumented aliens.
The amendment does not go the whole way of providing those families from getting citizenship or being able to move for a permanent resident (Green Card) status. But it does go a little further than the existing situation where if an undocumented alien, or even documented alien, was killed in the tragedy, his family’s status is in jeopardy and it faces the prospect of being huddled out of the U.S. purely because of not having the right papers.
An amendment to the omnibus Appropriations Bill, sponsored by Clinton and Corzine, was passed in the U.S. Senate. It prevents the use of federal funds to deport documented
or undocumented aliens.
“The surviving family members of those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have suffered so much already. Their surviving family members should be given permanent resident status in the United States and I was proud to co-sponsor Senator Corzine’s bill last year that would have done just that,” said Sen. Clinton. “Although the amendment that I co-sponsored with Senator Corzine does not give these family members that status, it will at least reduce the likelihood that they will be deported by prohibiting the use of federal funds to do so.”
The amendment, if and when the Appropriations Bill is passed, would prohibit the INS, or any other federal agency, from spending any money in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2003, to deport or detain the spouse or child of an alien who was killed in the terrorist attack.
The Senators introduced the legislation in the last session (107th Session) of the Congress that would grant honorary citizenship status to all documented aliens who were killed in the terrorist attack and afford immediate relatives the opportunity to apply for citizenship.
The measure that passed was part of that and is the latest step in the two Senators’ efforts to afford immigrant families of 9-11 victims permanent legal status in this country, the offices of the legislators said.
“The terrorists made no distinction between American citizens and aliens killed in the attack, and we should not set aside the heroism of those aliens who died, and the terrible impact on their families,” Sen. Corzine said. “Families still suffer terribly, their affairs are not in order, and they should not be forced to leave this country,” he added.
However, it is not clear where State funds could be used to deport people who may not have the right status.
