CBS News

Bush Wants Congress to Extend Immigration Deadline

May 1, 2001 1:06 pm EST

By Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush will urge lawmakers on Tuesday to extend the April 30 deadline that allows illegal immigrants with family or sponsors in the United States to apply for legal status without leaving the country.

Less than 12 hours after the expiry of a law that offered a limited amnesty to the immigrants who entered the United States illegally, but have family or a sponsor who will allow them to adjust their status, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush would urge congressional leaders to approve an extension.

"The president is sending a letter ... expressing his support for extending the amount of time that immigrants in this country can remain in this country so they can become legal residents," Fleischer said.

"The president is very concerned about what will happen to the families of immigrants who arrive in the United States and will be forced from their loved ones as a result of the law that expired yesterday," he said.

The letter was to be sent to Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Undocumented immigrants who want U.S. residency normally must return to their home country to apply for residency, commonly known as a "green card," at a U.S. consulate.

But under a law signed on Dec. 21 by former President Bill Clinton, certain undocumented immigrants who have close family members who are U.S. citizens or those who are employed -- and therefore eligible for a green card -- can begin the process while they are in the United States as long as they pay a $1,000 penalty.

"He will in this letter express his support for extending the deadline so that these citizens can remain in this country safe with their families without having to return to their homelands," Fleischer said. He would not say how long of an extension Bush supported.

FEARS OF LEAVING

Undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for an extended period of time often fear leaving because even though they might be eligible for a green card they can be banned from re-entry into the United States for three to 10 years if they have been in the country illegally.

"For someone who's been illegally in the country for long periods of time ... this is a very important benefit for them," said Immigration and Naturalization Service spokeswoman Elaine Komis. "This will allow them to legalize their status."

Thousands of immigrants, accompanied by their family sponsors, swarmed INS offices across the country ahead of the deadline on midnight Monday.

INS officials estimated that 640,000 illegal immigrants across the country would be eligible to apply for the benefit.

Komis said the INS had beefed up staffing and extended hours at several offices in major cities, and had also offered the option of allowing people to apply by mail using forms downloaded from the Internet.

During the presidential campaign, Bush -- who highlighted the fact that he was governor of a state bordering on Mexico -- said he was opposed to illegal immigration, but wanted more to be done to welcome legal immigrants.

Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox set up a joint working group on immigration.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001