I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3915
To adjust the immigration status of certain Liberian nationals who were
provided refuge in the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 20, 1998
Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To adjust the immigration status of certain Liberian
nationals who were provided refuge in the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Liberian Refugee Im-
migration Fairness Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF CERTAIN LIBERIAN
NATIONALS.
(a) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section
245(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the
status of any alien described in subsection (b) shall
be adjusted by the Attorney General to that of an
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, if
the alien—
(A) applies for such adjustment before
April 1, 2000; and
(B) is otherwise eligible to receive an im-
migrant visa and is otherwise admissible to the
United States for permanent residence, except
in determining such admissibility the grounds
for inadmissibility specified in paragraphs (4),
(5), (6)(A), and (7)(A) of section 212(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act shall not
apply.
(2) RELATIONSHIP OF APPLICATION TO CER-
TAIN
ORDERS.—An alien present in the United
States who has been ordered excluded, deported, re-
moved, or ordered to depart voluntarily from the
United States under any provision of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act may, notwithstanding such
order, apply for adjustment of status under para-
graph (1). Such an alien may not be required, as a
condition on submitting or granting such applica-
tion, to file a motion to reopen, reconsider, or vacate
such order. If the Attorney General grants the appli-
cation, the Attorney General shall cancel the order.
If the Attorney General renders a final administra-
tive decision to deny the application, the order shall
be effective and enforceable to the same extent as if
the application had not been made.
(b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE FOR ADJUSTMENT OF STA-
TUS.—The benefits provided by subsection (a) shall apply
to any alien who—
(1) is a national of Liberia; and
(2)(A) who was granted temporary protected
status on or after March 27, 1991; or
(B) was eligible to apply for temporary pro-
tected status on or after March 27, 1991.
(c) STAY OF REMOVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall
provide by regulation for an alien subject to a final
order of deportation or removal or exclusion to seek
a stay of such order based on the filing of an appli-
cation under subsection (a).
(2) DURING CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.—Notwith-
standing any provision of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act, the Attorney General shall not order
any alien to be removed from the United States, if
the alien is in exclusion, deportation, or removal pro-
ceedings under any provision of such Act and raises
as a defense to such an order the eligibility of the
alien to apply for adjustment of status under sub-
section (a), except where the Attorney General has
rendered a final administrative determination to
deny the application.
(3) WORK
AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney
General may authorize an alien who has applied for
adjustment of status under subsection (a) to engage
in employment in the United States during the
pendency of such application and may provide the
alien with an ‘‘employment authorized’’ endorsement
or other appropriate document signifying authoriza-
tion of employment, except that if such application
is pending for a period exceeding 180 days, and has
not been denied, the Attorney General shall author-
ize such employment.
(d) ADJUSTMENT
OF STATUS
FOR SPOUSES
AND
CHILDREN.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section
245(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the
status of an alien shall be adjusted by the Attorney
General to that of an alien lawfully admitted for per-
manent residence, if—
(A) the alien is a national of Liberia;
(B) the alien is the spouse, child, or un-
married son or daughter, of an alien whose sta-
tus is adjusted to that of an alien lawfully ad-
mitted for permanent residence under sub-
section (a), except that in the case of such an
unmarried son or daughter, the son or daughter
shall be required to establish that they have
been physically present in the United States for
at least 1 year and is physically present in the
United States on the date the application for
such adjustment is filed.
(C) the alien applies for such adjustment
and is physically present in the United States
on the date the application is filed; and
(D) the alien is otherwise eligible to receive
an immigration visa and is otherwise admissible
to the United States for permanent residence,
except in determining such admissibility the
grounds for exclusion specified in paragraphs
(4), (5), (6)(A), and (7)(A) of section 212(a) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act shall not
apply.
(2) PROOF OF CONTINUOUS PRESENCE.—For
purposes of establishing the period of continuous
physical presence referred to in paragraph (1)(B),
an alien shall not be considered to have failed to
maintain continuous physical presence by reason of
an absence, or absences, from the United States for
any periods in aggregate not exceeding 180 days.
(e) AVAILABILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.—
The Attorney General shall provide to applicants for ad-
justment of status under subsection (a) the same right to,
and procedures for, administrative review as are provided
to—
(1) applicants for adjustment of status under
section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
or
(2) aliens subject to removal proceedings under
section 240 of such Act.
(f) LIMITATION
ON JUDICIAL REVIEW.—A deter-
mination by the Attorney General as to whether the status
of any alien should be adjusted under this section is final
and shall not be subject to review by any court.
(g) NO OFFSET IN NUMBER OF VISAS AVAILABLE.—
When an alien is granted the status of having been law-
fully admitted for permanent residence pursuant to this
section, the Secretary of State shall not be required to re-
duce the number of immigrant visas authorized to be
issued under any provision of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act.
(h) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONAL-
ITY ACT PROVISIONS.—Except as otherwise specifically
provided in this Act, the definitions contained in the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act shall apply in the administra-
tion of this section. Nothing contained in this Act shall
be held to repeal, amend, alter, modify, effect, or restrict
the powers, duties, functions, or authority of the Attorney
General in the administration and enforcement of such
Act or any other law relating to immigration, nationality,
or naturalization. The fact that an alien may be eligible
to be granted the status of having been lawfully admitted
for permanent residence under this section shall not pre-
clude the alien from seeking such status under any other
provision of law for which the alien may be eligible.
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