Political Quotes

“I am here today to briefly discuss an amendment to an important provision in the immigration bill that the Senate is considering concerning Stateless persons. Section 3405 of the comprehensive immigration bill would, for the first time, recognize and provide protections to those people in the United States that have no nationality--they are Stateless. There are countless men, women, and children in the United States today who cannot claim any nation as their home. Many lost their nationality when their country of origin ceased to exist as a result of political upheaval, rampant persecution, or violent conflict. The comprehensive immigration bill would encourage these people in the United States to come forward and apply to be recognized as Stateless persons. Under the proposed law, if an individual is recognized as Stateless, they could seek conditional lawful status, provided they meet the appropriate requirements, and be protected from being deported back to a State they no longer recognize as their home. The amendment I am offering to the immigration bill would advance this important effort to recognize and protect Stateless persons living in the United States. We live in a time when political turmoil, persecution, and war are no longer the only conditions creating Stateless persons. Today, rapid and extreme environmental change threatens to erode national boundaries and make States uninhabitable to people. This is not an abstract challenge.…”