Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thursday, 8 Oct 1992 22:05:20 CDT
From: <U56503@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: ==> Clinton/Gore On Immigration Policy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information in the public interest which does not imply that it
is the opinion of UIC.  Contact 75300.3115@compuserve.com for
further information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            CLINTON/GORE ON IMMIGRATION


No part of the American story is richer and none
more important to preserve than our proud tradition
of responding to the yearnings in all people for
personal freedom, political rights, and economic
opportunity.  The end of the Cold War has not
brought an end to persecution or to the plight of
refugees.  civil and ethnic strife, repression,
poverty and environmental degradation continue to
cause upheavals.

A Clinton/Gore Administration will support policies
that promote fairness, non-discrimination and
family reunification, and reflect our
constitutional freedoms of speech, association and
travel.  While we must be generous, we cannot admit
all who want to come.  Priority should be given to
reunifying families and attracting refugees and
workers whose skills are needed.


Reunite families

*    Make family reunification the cornerstone of
     American immigration policy.

*    Eliminate backlogs which separate husbands and
     wives and their children. Their present two
     year wait for a visa is intolerable.

*    Reduce the unreasonable backlog for extended
     family members - which can be as long as 15
     years.

Support American Workers

*    Meet our first obligation - to recruit, train,
     and maintain the competitiveness of our own
     work force, and to ensure that immigration
     laws do not displace American workers.

*    Ensure that temporary worker programs are not
     used to displace American workers or to
     undermine our union organizations.

*    Maintain immigration laws that enable
     employers to obtain the workers they need
     where labor shortages exist.

Fight discrimination

*    Make it a top priority of a Clinton/Gore
     Administration to vigorously enforce our labor
     and anti-discrimination laws.

*    Work to get rid of sweat shops and abusive
     farm labor contractors - not only to help
     control immigration, but also help all
     Americans.

Enforce and improve border controls

*    Enhance the enforcement of the laws
     controlling our borders, and ensure that the
     human rights of all immigrants are respected.

*    Improve the Border Patrol and ensure that it
     is held accountable for its actions.

*    Provide new technology and training in the
     latest enforcement techniques.

Improve domestic conditions in Latin America

*    Develop economic and foreign policies that
     encourage economic growth in countries where
     the lack of economic opportunities "pushes
     out" their residents.  By cooperating with our
     developing allies in ways that treat them as
     true partners, we will reduce the "push"
     factor.

*    Support trade agreements with Latin America
     countries that improve and enforce labor,
     wage, health, safety, and environmental
     standards at home and abroad.  Keep jobs at
     home and help people abroad live richer, safer
     lives.

Encourage immigrant participation

*    Institute public information programs to
     advise permanent residents of the requirements
     of citizenship.

*    Encourage and assist community organizations
     to establish education programs to aid legal
     residents to meet these requirements.

*    Ensure that citizenship fees do not pose an
     undue burden.  Keep fees to the minimum
     necessary to cover costs.

*    Work with organizations such as OCA, JACL,
     NAPABA, the Southwest Voter Registration and
     Education Project, MALDEF, NALEO and LACLA on
     issues affecting voter registration and
     citizenship.

Support continuing immigration

*    Recognize that even in the post-Cold War era,
     people still flee political persecution.

*    Continue to offer the protection of political
     asylum regardless of our relationship with the
     countries fled.

*    Encourage democracy and human rights abroad.

*    Condition favorable trade terms with
     repressive regimes, such as China's communist
     government, on their respect for human rights,
     political liberalization and responsible
     international conduct.

*    Ensure that legitimate claims for asylum are
     granted and that those denied asylum have
     received full and fair proceedings.

*    Make every effort to support voluntary
     repatriation after the resolution of
     conflicts.

*    Support the Diversity Visa Program, which
     reaches out to those unfairly excluded by our
     immigration policies.

End AIDS immigration restrictions

*    Stop the cynical politicization of federal
     immigration policies.  Direct the Justice
     Department to follow the Department of Health
     and Human Services' recommendation that HIV be
     removed from the immigration restrictions
     list.

Stop the forced repatriation of Haitian refugees

*    Reverse Bush Administration policy and stop
     repatriation.

*    Give fleeing Haitian refugees consideration
     for political asylum until democracy is
     restored to Haiti.  Provide them safe haven,
     and encourage other nations to do the same.

*    Seek tightening of the Organization of
     American States' embargo of Haiti.

*    Insist that our European allies observe the
     embargo, particularly with regard to oil.

*    Intensify direct pressure from the United
     States to restore an elected government.

Help Jews leave Russia

*    As anti-Semitic fervor increases in the former
     Soviet Union, uphold America's longstanding
     commitment to freedom of emigration.

*    Ensure sufficient support for the 50,000
     refugees from the former Soviet Union
     resettling in the United States each year.

*    Support Israel's request for our assistance in
     resettling hundreds of thousands of Jews from
     the former Soviet Union.  The Bush
     Administration is wrong to hold hostage to
     political struggle hundreds of thousands of
     people whose freedom we have long demanded.

The Record

*    Senator Gore has supported legislation to
     reduce the paperwork required of immigrants by
     employers.  Gore believes that businesses
     should not have to carry an undue burden in
     implementing immigration reform.

*    Supported "seasonal worker" provisions
     allowing foreign workers to enter the country
     about up to nine months; and also supported
     legislation extending the time for farm
     workers who enter the United states to present
     their paperwork to government officials.  Gore
     understands the special needs of farmers and
     people in the perishable crop industry.

*    Voted for measures to more effectively handle
     employment discrimination.

*    Supported measures to provide safe have for
     political refugees - including Chinese
     students after the Tiananmen Square massacre,
     citizens of Central American nations gripped
     by civil war, and Haitian boat people fleeing
     repression.
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton