Iraqi Scientists Immigration Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-205
Sponsor: Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2003-01-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Admission of nonimmigrants
Armed Forces and National Security
Arms control verification
Biological warfare
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Deportation
Energy
Engineers
Families
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Human rights
Immigrants
Infrastructure
International Affairs
International control of nuclear power
International law
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Middle East and North Africa
Negotiations
Nuclear engineering
Political persecution
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists
Scientists in government
United Nations
Visas
Weapons of mass destruction

Summary:
action_date: 2003-01-23
text: Iraqi Scientists Immigration Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the nonimmigrant admission of an alien (and accompanying family members or relatives) who the Attorney General determines, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Director of Central Intelligence and other appropriate officials, and in the Attorney General's unreviewable discretion, is an individual: (1) who has worked at any time in an Iraqi weapons of mass destruction program; (2) who is in possession of critical and reliable information concerning any such Iraqi program; (3) who is willing to provide, or has provided, such information to the United States or to United Nations or International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors; (4) who will be or has been placed in danger as a result of providing such information; and (5) whose admission would be in the public interest or in the interest of national security.
Limits such entrants to 500 aliens.
Requires such an alien, in order to be admitted and remain in the United States, to: (1) report to the Attorney General concerning his or her whereabouts and activities; (2) not be convicted of any criminal offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or more after the date of admission or grant of status; (3) have waived rights to contest, other than on the basis of an application for withholding of removal or for protection under the Convention Against Torture, any action for removal instituted before the alien obtains lawful permanent resident status; and (4) cooperate fully with all information requests, including information concerning any Iraqi program to produce or deliver weapons of mass destruction.
Authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence, to adjust the status of such an alien (and family members) to permanent resident status.
Authorizes the Attorney General to waive the inadmissability of such an alien for reasons of public interest or national security.
Amends the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 to revise the definition of "weapon of mass destruction" to replace "disease organism" with "biological agent, toxin, or vector."
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: (
This measure has not been amended since being introduced in the Senate on January 23, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Iraqi Scientists Immigration Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the nonimmigrant admission of an alien (and accompanying family members or relatives) who the Attorney General determines, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Director of Central Intelligence and other appropriate officials, and in the Attorney General's unreviewable discretion, is an individual: (1) who has worked at any time in an Iraqi weapons of mass destruction program; (2) who is in possession of critical and reliable information concerning any such Iraqi program; (3) who is willing to provide, or has provided, such information to the United States or to United Nations or International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors; (4) who will be or has been placed in danger as a result of providing such information; and (5) whose admission would be in the public interest or in the interest of national security.
Limits such entrants to 500 aliens.
Requires such an alien, in order to be admitted and remain in the United States, to: (1) report to the Attorney General concerning his or her whereabouts and activities; (2) not be convicted of any criminal offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or more after the date of admission or grant of status; (3) have waived rights to contest, other than on the basis of an application for withholding of removal or for protection under the Convention Against Torture, any action for removal instituted before the alien obtains lawful permanent resident status; and (4) cooperate fully with all information requests, including information concerning any Iraqi program to produce or deliver weapons of mass destruction.
Authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence, to adjust the status of such an alien (and family members) to permanent resident status.
Authorizes the Attorney General to waive the inadmissability of such an alien for reasons of public interest or national security.
Amends the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 to revise the definition of "weapon of mass destruction" to replace "disease organism" with "biological agent, toxin, or vector."
action_date: 2003-03-20
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced in the Senate on January 23, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Iraqi Scientists Immigration Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the nonimmigrant admission of an alien (and accompanying family members or relatives) who the Attorney General determines, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Director of Central Intelligence and other appropriate officials, and in the Attorney General's unreviewable discretion, is an individual: (1) who has worked at any time in an Iraqi weapons of mass destruction program; (2) who is in possession of critical and reliable information concerning any such Iraqi program; (3) who is willing to provide, or has provided, such information to the United States or to United Nations or International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors; (4) who will be or has been placed in danger as a result of providing such information; and (5) whose admission would be in the public interest or in the interest of national security.
Limits such entrants to 500 aliens.
Requires such an alien, in order to be admitted and remain in the United States, to: (1) report to the Attorney General concerning his or her whereabouts and activities; (2) not be convicted of any criminal offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or more after the date of admission or grant of status; (3) have waived rights to contest, other than on the basis of an application for withholding of removal or for protection under the Convention Against Torture, any action for removal instituted before the alien obtains lawful permanent resident status; and (4) cooperate fully with all information requests, including information concerning any Iraqi program to produce or deliver weapons of mass destruction.
Authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence, to adjust the status of such an alien (and family members) to permanent resident status.
Authorizes the Attorney General to waive the inadmissability of such an alien for reasons of public interest or national security.
Amends the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 to revise the definition of "weapon of mass destruction" to replace "disease organism" with "biological agent, toxin, or vector."

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
action_date: 2003-03-24
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-03-24
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2003-03-24
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2003-03-20
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4222-4223; text as passed Senate: CR S4222-4223)
action_date: 2003-03-20
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4222-4223; text as passed Senate: CR S4222-4223)
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 9.
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Hatch without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Hatch without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2003-01-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1482-1483)
action_date: 2003-01-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1481-1482)
action_date: 2003-01-23
text: Introduced in Senate