Thread: Bill seeks protected status for Lebanese in US

http://www.boston.com

Bill seeks protected status for Lebanese in US
Senators push to extend stays
By Michael M. Grynbaum, Globe Correspondent | August 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Senators are putting new pressure on the government to allow citizens of Lebanon who were visiting the United States when hostilities broke out in their home country to remain in America for at least another year.

A bipartisan bill introduced yesterday by Senators Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and John E. Sununu, Republican of New Hampshire, would provide 12-month temporary protected status for thousands of Lebanese citizens visiting the United States on temporary visas.

Supporters of the bill said the ongoing violence in Lebanon, where scores of civilians have died over three weeks of fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, threatens the safety of returning citizens. Temporary protected status is granted to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their country due to armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other ``extraordinary" conditions.

``It would be an enormous mistake to send Lebanese nationals back into that war zone simply because the timing on their visa would dictate that," Sununu said in an interview.

Durbin's office estimated that there are about 20,000 visiting Lebanese currently in the United States.

Congress previously granted temporary protective status for Lebanese citizens in September 1989, in the midst of a violent civil war. Yesterday's bill may not be considered until after Labor Day, when the Senate returns from its August recess.

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff also has the authority to grant protected status to a country.

``I have heard of no plans for Homeland Security to declare this status, though it makes great sense," Sununu said. ``In the absence of action by them, Congress should do this by statute."

A spokesman for US Citizen and Immigration Services, which oversees immigration issues for Homeland Security, said Lebanon has not filed a request seeking temporary protected status for its citizens.

``It's not something the secretary has in front of him right now," the spokesman, Chris Bentley, said.

However, the Immigration and Nationality Act provides two options for Chertoff to grant temporary protected status to a foreign state without first receiving a request from that state.

In a letter to the president last week, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry, Democrats of Massachusetts, asked that temporary protected status be provided for visiting nationals from Lebanon, Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Durbin-Sununu bill only includes Lebanese nationals.

Durbin and Sununu said yesterday that they would be open to expanding their bill to include residents of all three areas, a prospect urged by Kerry and Kennedy.

``America should show its compassion by not forcing people currently legally in the U.S. to return home until it is safe to do so," Kerry said in a statement.

Kerry's office cited the case of a Medfield family whose relatives are visiting from Lebanon.

Georgette Akrouche's mother and 13-year-old sister traveled from the Jezzine region of Lebanon to visit her at her Medfield home, expecting to stay for two months. ``The day that they got here, the next morning everything was messed up," Akrouche said in an interview.

With their visas expiring at the end of September, Akrouche's relatives will have to return to Lebanon.

James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute in Washington, said he was praying that protected status would be quickly granted to visitors from the affected region.

``If we're having trouble getting Americans out, how do we send people back?" Zogby said in an interview. ``And what do we send them back to?"

Temporary protected status is currently available for visiting nationals of seven countries: Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan.

``America should show its compassion by not forcing people currently legally in the U.S. to return home until it is safe to do so," Kerry said in a statement.

Senator Kerry, haven't we shown enough compassion? we cannot make exceptions to the laws. If we do, every nationality will lobby some excuse of how the laws do not apply to them.

The problem is that nothing is ever "temporary" with our government. Take for instance the refugees from, where was it, Honduras, where they had the hurricane flooding? We let them come here "temporarily" about 10 years ago, and they're still here.

Apparently our government can't say no to anyone, but American citizens.

Durbin's office estimated that there are about 20,000 visiting Lebanese currently in the United States

Durbins guesstimates are usually on the low end. Just what we need....more people who basicly hate our guts. Does he have a plan as to who is going to care for these people? Some poor guy or gal was probably counting the days for when the in-laws were leaving and now find they may be stuck with them for another year. Sorry....that vision just went through my mind. But I know I plan for guests and don't think I could afford to care for them for another year. Are they going to let them work or are tax payers helping to foot the bill? I would hate to be forced to go back into a war situation.....but at the same time......they're always fighting about something and how do we know there aren't terrorists among them?

How do we know that all of these people are just escaping the war? Have they had background checks? Do we know who they are? How many bad guys piggybacked in with the "refugees"?
I am tired of supporting the world.

Oh I wish ALL our Senators would choke on their expensive foods!

I'm not unreasonable. I have no problem giving them a 6 months extension assuming we have a legitimate way to track each of them for that six month period and that we ensure they depart at the end of the six months (physically book their flight and ensure they depart when scheduled). Should they not report for their flight as scheduled, they would instantly become fleeing felons and if captured given 5 years in prison no questions asked (offered no legal recourse). Perhaps I'm just a softy, but the thought of sending women and children into a battle zone does not appeal to me. we must consider the human factor here. This is not a situation created by them - they didn't intentionally set out to deceive us, illegally immigrate into our country, or take advantage of us.

It's true...nothing is ever temporary with this government. It's bad enough we still have TPS people here from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Even if we granted them TPS, our government would not send them back...whomever was in charge would keep renewing the TPS status every eighteen months or so. I hate to say it, but don't let them stay.

Ostrich

This is not a situation created by them

I have to disagree on this point. The Lebanese people overwhelmingly support hezbollah. Hezbollah started the latest conflict when they invaded Israel, and killed and took hostage, Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah would not exist if not for the support of the Lebanese people, so they do share some responsibility for the situation they find themselves in.

Temporary protected status is granted to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their country due to armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other ``extraordinary" conditions.

Since when is anything this government does is temporary? Just like Tom Tancredo said, there is nothing more permanent then a temporary guest. No thank you.

``It would be an enormous mistake to send Lebanese nationals back into that war zone simply because the timing on their visa would dictate that," Sununu said in an interview.

That's not our problem. Laws are laws. Why should we make exceptions for anybody because as soon as you make exceptions for one group, every Tom, Dick and Harry in the world will come up with whatever excuse they can to stay here.

``America should show its compassion by not forcing people currently legally in the U.S. to return home until it is safe to do so," Kerry said in a statement.

We've shown enough compassion and I'm sick of it. What's in it for us? Where is our return investment? What do we get out of it? Tell you what Kerry, since your all in being compassionate, why don't you allow some of these good hearted folk to come stay over your mansion in your gated community in Boston MA?

How about you show American citizens some compassion and stop this insanity?

Temporary protected status is currently available for visiting nationals of seven countries: Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan.

10 to 15 years after the fact and they are all still here wrecking havoc on America. Some of the most verminous criminals have come here from those places. Why don't we give them permanent protect status since that is what it's amounted to anyway?